Welcome to A Moment to Pause.

I'm Pauline Thomas, and I'll be with you through this coming week.

Today's gospel

#lent #prayer #5thweekoflent #christian #society

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today’s time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Fr Dermot for today’s short 90 second podcast.

In today's gospel reading from John we see that even some of the authorities are beginning to see a different side to Jesus...some of the police and a Pharisee called Nicodemus. But they are quickly rebuked and castigated.

Already the persecution of those who follow Jesus. It's not easy to stand up for Jesus and what he stands for - dignity, respect, mercy, reconciliation, forgiveness, compassion - when what we see and hear is force, might, threats, violence and the brutality and slaughter of war.

We pray today for all who are slaughtered, maimed, displaced, or silenced by oppressive leadership and by systems that choose power over people. May the Lord strengthen all who work for peace, justice, and the protection of human life.

We pray silently....

Thank you for joining us this morning.

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#lent #prayer #4thweekoflent #christian #christianliving #persecution #society

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Fr Dermot for today's short 90 second podcast.

Amen.

✔ Subscribe for daily prayer with the Oblate family.

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Fr Dermot for today's short 90 second podcast.

Good morning everyone once again. And today we have the feast of Saint Joseph.

✔ Subscribe for daily prayer with the Oblate family.

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Fr Dermot for today's short 90 second podcast.

Good morning everyone. Once again, we're together on this Wednesday, the fourth week of Lent. And in today's reading from Isaiah, we read, “Does a woman forget the baby of her breast or fail to cherish the child of her womb? Yet even if these forget her, I'll never forget you.”

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Fr Dermot for today's short 90 second podcast.

Good morning everyone. And today we have Saint Patrick.

Patrick, 16 years of age, kidnapped by raiders from Ireland, torn from his family, friends, places he knew and loved in his homeland in Britain. He ended up on a remote mountain in the then wilds of Ireland, looking after sheep. And it was during his years there as a virtual slave, that he rediscovered God. And he eventually returned to Ireland to make God known to the Irish people.

How ironic that Patrick, a trafficked illegal immigrant, is celebrated each year in a country that's now determined to expel from its borders all foreign migrants.

We pray for all those who have to leave their homelands to seek a safer and better life for themselves and their families.

In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Fr Dermot for today's short 90 second podcast.

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to this, little reflection we have today on Monday, the fourth week of Lent. My name is Father Dermot. I'm an Oblate, and I be with you this week.

So in John's Gospel today, we read of the court official who came to Jesus seeking help for his dying son. And then when he was doing this, a messenger from his home tells him his son has died. And yet Jesus tells him, your son will live. What a relief. What a joy, what a burden lifted off for this distraught father. Your son will live. How many mothers and fathers of children killed in Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, Israel, the West Bank, Iran, Sudan and so on, how many will never hear those words? Your son., your daughter will live.They'll never hear them.

We pray now for the thousands of children killed, some of them murdered in the wars that are taking place in our broken world. And for their grieving mums and dads and brothers and sisters.

May Jesus, the God of comfort and tenderness, make himself known to their families. Let's just be silent for a while....

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Anne Walker from Friends of Saint Eugene in Crewe for today's short 90 second podcast.

Good morning and welcome to today's Oblate prayer and Reflection of the Gospel on the fourth Sunday of Lent. The Gospel comes from Saint John, chapter nine, verses 1 to 41.

Jesus rejects the disciples assumption in the Gospel that the blind man was a punishment for his and his parents sin. Instead he frames it as an opportunity for the working of God to be revealed. The man who was physically blind gradually sees Jesus's true identity as the Son of God, whilst the religious authorities, who possess physical sight and religious knowledge remain spiritually blind. The man who was formerly blind serves as a courageous witness. He remains steadfast in his testimony, even though he was cast out by religious leaders.

We are asked in the Gospel to examine our own lives for areas of chosen blindness, such as prejudices, refusal to see the good in others. It serves as a call to become a humble, urging us to admit our own limitations, and remain open to being transformed by Jesus.

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Anne Walker from Friends of Saint Eugene in Crewe for today's short 90 second podcast.

Good morning and welcome to today's Oblate prayer and Reflection, on the Saturday of the third week of Lent. The Gospel today comes from Saint Luke chapter 18, verses 9 to 14.

The Pharisees prayer in today's Gospel is rooted in score, keeping, evaluating his own worth by looking down on others. His pride blinded him to his need for God and created distance between him and his neighbour. The tax collectors simple plea of “God be merciful to me, a sinner” shows an honest acknowledgment of his brokenness. There was no list of accomplishments, but rather the opening of God's grace to him by being authentic.

The parable teaches us that we cannot earn our standing with God through good works alone but by also being humble enough to admit that we cannot save ourselves. It also invites us to stop hiding behind our religious activities or social status. It challenges us to bring our failures, struggles, and weaknesses into the light of God's presence, where at last we can find peace and a new beginning.

Good morning and thank you for joining the Oblate Family Podcast: A Moment To Pause, for today's time of reflection and prayer during Lent. We listen to Anne Walker from Friends of Saint Eugene in Crewe for today's short 90 second podcast.

Good morning. Welcome today's Oblate reflection. On this Friday, the third week of Lent. Today's Gospel comes from Saint Mark, chapter 12, verses 28 to 34.

Today, Jesus clarifies that the greatest commandment is to love God with one's entire heart, soul, mind, and strength, and also love one's neighbour as oneself. These two commandments are inseparable by showing that love is a commitment that prioritises our relationship with God. We cannot love God while neglecting our neighbour. The scribe recognises in today's Gospel that love is more than all about who burns offerings and sacrifices. Jesus tells the scribe that by his statement he is not far from the kingdom of God.

While reflecting on this, we should ask ourselves does our current approach to relationships work and to think about a whole commitment to God and to a sincere regard for the whole being of the human race.

Have a peaceful and fruitful day. Thank you.