Gospel Reflection–Fr Mark De Battista–The Lamb of God (Fr Mark teases out the significance of the expression Lamb of God, the expression that John the Baptist uses as he identifies Jesus when he walks past his group of disciples. Lamb of God is something that we as Christian believers would take for granted because we've heard it so many times, but it wasn't a customary Jewish expression at the time. The words Lamb of God as a phrase goes back into the scriptures to the time of Abraham. Abraham was promised a son, Isaac, for whom he had to wait for 25 years. When Isaac was a young boy, he takes him to Mount Moriah, tradition says he's about to sacrifice Isaac when God stops him through the Angel at the last minute. Abraham looks up and, in the distance, he sees a ram stuck by its horns, so he sacrifices the ram. But what had happened before is that young Isaac had asked Abraham, the fire is here, and the knife, where is the lamb of sacrifice? Abraham tells Isaac God himself will provide the lamb of sacrifice. But Scripture tells us that it was a ram that was ultimately sacrificed. A RAM is an adult male sheep, whereas a lamb is still young. So therefore, we are still looking forward to this lamb that God will provide and the fulfilment of that prophecy by Abraham is really in Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God who is sacrificed. So, every time you hear this expression, Lamb of God, know that it's in fact the fulfilment of a prophecy that goes way back into the Old Testament, the fulfilment of the promise of God made to Abraham and to Isaac.)

Smart Loving–Byron & Francine Pirola–Choosing to Love (Byron and Francine talk about the difference between liking and loving. The marriage vow says nothing about being perfect or even likeable. The vows we made were to love each other all the days of our lives. Liking is a subjective encounter. Whether we like or dislike something or someone is as much about us as it is about them. It's really about the emotions we experience in the presence of that other person or thing. Being unlikable is not equivalent to being unlovable. Our likability relates to what we do. Our lovability is a function of who we are. Emotions can be managed, but they can't really be chosen in the same way as we can choose our actions or our words. On the other hand, our decision to love is most definitely something over which we do have control. Love is not dependent on the emotions. Love is not a trade or quid pro quo. It is not exchanged only on condition that the other's actions make us feel good or their present being likeable. We can make a choice to value the other as God's beloved son or daughter, even when we don't like them. Love is always a choice. And in marriage couples commit to choosing to love every day, most especially those times when we may otherwise dislike each other.)

The Word–Fr Tony Percy–Deepest Division (The Gospel recounts the interplay between John the Baptist and Jesus and the call of the first disciples. Jesus turned and saw them following and he said to them, what are you seeking? Magnificent question! Peter Kreft, a very fine philosopher and theologian from the United States, has published a book on the Gospel of Mark. It's called “Food for Soul, reflection on the Mass readings.” Kreft says: “for us the clearest division seems to be the visible one between atheists and theists, that is between unbelievers and believers. Between those who have found God and those who have not.” He continues: “For God, however, the deepest division is the invisible one between seekers and non-seekers. For seeking is done with the heart, and God alone knows the secrets of every heart.” People think the world is being divided into those who believe and those who do not believe. This prompts the question that Jesus puts to these first disciples, what are you seeking? For God, the deepest division, not the clearest division, but the deepest division is between those who are seeking the truth, those who are seeking God, and those who are not seeking the truth and those who are not seeking God. So, I think this is a very good distinction for us, just to pause and think about this week. Right at the heart of the sermon on the Mount we hear the words of Christ; “ask and you will receive, seek and you'll find, knock and the door will be open.” So, What Kreft is saying in his book called “Food for the Soul,” is very, very significant. That the world, in fact, for God is divided between those who seek and those who don't seek. Let's ask ourselves the question, what is the quality, as the new year begins, of our seeking? Kreft summarises this perfectly and beautifully when he says, that all who truly seek the true God, the God not of power, but the God of goodness and love will find him. If not in this life, then, certainly in the next.)

On The Journey This Week: Fr Mark De Battista traces the term “Lamb of God” back to Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah. Mother Hilda says that unlike all the sporting replays of player mistakes, God doesn’t do replays of our life mistakes. Plus, Fr Tony Percy says Jesus’ question; what are you seeking, highlights the deepest division that exists between those who are seeking the truth, those who are seeking God, and those who are not seeking the truth and those who are not seeking God. Byron and Francine Pirola explain the difference between liking and loving, and Fr Mike Delaney asks where is God for you?

On The Journey This Week: Fr Mark De Battista says today we celebrate the manifestation of the Christ child to all the Gentile nations. Mother Hilda says there is a great spiritual message from an episode of fiction, Agatha Christie’s character, Monsieur Poirot. Fr Tony Percy calls us to stop and think about that Gospel phrase; they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy upon seeing the star which then led them to the Christ child, Fr Sean Cullen says that by studying the life of Jesus, we can learn what the favour of God really means, and how it applies to each of us, and Trish McCarthy says that we too are called to share what God has done in our life to testify to the changes we've experienced with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Wisdom from the Abbey–Mother Hilda– Monsieur Poirot (Mother Hilda has recently watched an episode of Agatha Christie character, Monsieur Hercule Poirot about a young woman whose horrible mother was cruelly murdered. The story of the torments this young woman had endured made for one very messed up life. In the final scene, this young woman announces to Poirot that she's off to Egypt or somewhere to make a new life for herself. It feels as though she's on the cusp of starting a whole new life. Poirot asked very gently, Mademoiselle may an old man pontificate for just a moment. There is no damage, he said, however great, that cannot be healed and made new by Almighty God. Without this assurance, mademoiselle, many of us would surely go mad. Please remember my advice, and with that, he tipped his hat and strolled away out of her life. Not a bad message for an episode of fiction, and indeed a true message some of you listening to me today may feel just so damaged. One tends to feel so out of sync with the rest of the world and yet Poirot is right. There is no damage, however great, that cannot be healed and made new by Almighty God. Give him a chance. Quietly tell him about the damage you've sustained. Then watch, He'll send a Poirot into your life. He'll send you opportunity after opportunity for healing. He'll send you every occasion to shed your damage. And again, you know Poirot is right. Without this assurance, many of us would surely go mad.)

The Word–Fr Tony Percy–Rejoicing Exceedingly (Fr Tony says a lot of people have talked about the star over history. Some have approached it from the area of science and physics, etc. Others from faith. I think the most sensible thing I've ever heard was from St John Chrysostom, one of the early church fathers, who says this star is not an ordinary star. It doesn't move the way ordinary stars move. It's more like an invisible power that's now manifested itself as a star precisely because... the people that God is dealing with are people who are used to stars. St Thomas Aquinas used to have this saying that things are received in the mode of the receiver. St Paul received the power of God in and through the mode that was most understandable for him, and likewise the wise men. Very interestingly, and this is very important for our spiritual life and the development of our faith life, Saint Matthew says, "They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. So, he's being deliberately redundant because he's trying to ram home the significance of the star. So, they receive this joy, which is magnificent, and we try to receive it ourselves in this time through the proclamation of this passage. Why don't we just stop and think about that phrase. They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy upon seeing the star which then led them to the Christ child.)

The Sign Advent Series–Fr Sean Cullen–My Son the Beloved (On Monday 8 January we celebrate the baptism of the Lord. On the day of his Baptism, the voice from heaven said: “You are my beloved son. On you my favour rests” (Mk 1:11). Fr Sean Cullen says that by studying the life of Jesus, we can learn what the favour of God really means, and how it applies to each of us. Looking at the life of Jesus, we conclude that divine favour primarily means a chance to participate in the great redemptive work of God. Our commitment to Jesus is often less than single-minded because we are distracted by the need to succeed, the pressure to accumulate, the desire for adulation. We do not need to try and win God’s favour. Nothing we can do will prove our worthiness of God’s love, yet God loves us anyway. We are already blessed sons and daughters of God. We just need to find our place in God’s great work of redemption.)

Milk & Honey–Trish McCarthy–Go Make Disciples (Trish says that as disciples, we are called to evangelise. It is part of the cycle of maturity and of life. As the disciples grew in maturity, more was expected of them. We too are invited to share what God has done in our life to testify to the changes we've experienced with the help of the Holy Spirit. There is always a risk involved when we go out, we become vulnerable and capable of being wounded, misunderstood, rejected, the agony of calumny, or loss of relationship. However, Jesus promises that we are not alone when we act under the guidance of the Spirit. My prayer for you this day is that the spirit will reveal to you one instance of transformation that's taken place within you, giving you confidence as you share this joy with another.)

Gospel Reflection– Fr Mark De Battista– Manifestation to the Gentile Nations (Today the Church is remembering the manifestation of the Christ child to all the Gentile nations. Before he was made manifest just to the Jewish people, because it was from them that the Messiah came, but now the Gentiles, meaning the non-Jewish believers, who are represented by the three wise men, coming from the east all the way to Jerusalem. There are only two groups of people who are seeking the Christ child, the wise men who wish to adore him and bring with them their respective gifts. On the other hand there is Herod who wants to kill him, and I want to put it to you that when Christ is made known to the Gentile world, to all the world, there will always be these two broad categories of people; those who accept him and worship him and adore him, and those who want to do away with him because they see him as a threat. So, for us, when we celebrate this feast, are we in the category of the wise men who want to worship the Lord Jesus and take him into our hearts? Or are we in the category of Herod?)