St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses, or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (Matthew 5 v 17, 18 NLT) 

Christ Jesus’ way is the way we move forwards with hope.

Knowing the peace of God’s forgiveness graciously given,

Feeling joyous because we belong entirely to Christ Jesus, the Saviour.

His love becomes our love, a strengthening support.

Christ Jesus lives in us, to live amongst us.

He is our Holy Eucharist, the living Bread.

His purpose is for us to develop respect and reverence

Not simply for a favoured few, but for everybody.

We are all God’s creation, although we have marred this.

Christ Jesus comes, perfect in holiness, able to reconcile us with God.

“Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will be saved.” (Psalm 80 v 3 NLT) 

He lives in us, to work with us, though us.

We must, absolutely must, show honour to His body,

Which is us being made holy by the industrious Spirit.

Any disrespect for life, disrespects the Holy Trinity and is serious. 

But the Lord God, our heavenly Father, overcomes this,

By allowing His Son to live and die on the † for us.

Blessed by the work the Holy Spirit, we have power,

The power to change the world’s attitudes and actions.

When we show each other true love, we are profoundly blessed,

Incredibly blessed to receive directly from heaven.

“If anyone is in Christ, (s)he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 17, 18 NIV)  

Then we live to give of the love Christ Jesus gifts us.

When we venerate Him at the †of forgiveness,

Then here is the opportunity for all that is holy.

As God’s family we are called not merely to survive,

But to thrive in the fullness of life,

Fed and nourished, cleansed and purified by Him who died.

Yet rose again to ever be the living, abiding Presence

In all that is worthy, our being made holy,

We can all become a part of this wonder, this beauty,

The beauty of true love adding such value to the world. 

“Take care of this grapevine that You Yourself have planted, this Son You have raised for Yourself

….strengthen the man You offer us in Christ Jesus’ love, the Son of Your choice. Then we will never abandon You again. Revive us so we can call on Your name once more.” (Psalm 80 v 14, 15, 17, 18 NLT)

A love generously, graciously, continuously given.

A life developed to love and respect each other, 

As by this we show love and respect for the Holy Trinity.

They live in us, for us to live fully in them.

We take ownership of the power of holy love,

And the world becomes a different place entirely.

All that is holy amongst us, is the gift given through Christ Jesus,

The living, abiding, perfect presence of the power of love which is holy,

Taught and brought about through faiths’ practices,

By the Holy Spirit, an Advocate, One just like Christ Jesus.

“God willing, after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘them’ and ‘those’, but only ‘us’.” (“Fratelli tutti 35” Pope Francis)   

“ ‘So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock – His church, purchased with His own blood – over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you…’” (Acts 20 v 28 NLT)  

We are appointed to a life of faith in Christ Jesus, knowing Him as the fulfilment of Your every promise made to us, heavenly Father. “For God will guide Israel in joy, by the light of His glory, with the mercy and saving justice which comes from Him.” (Baruch 5 v 9 TNJB)  

We are invited to the banqueting table set out before us, so we can partake of the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus, “Surely the LORD’s mercies are not over. His deeds of faithful love not exhausted, every morning they are renewed; great is His faithfulness. The LORD is all I have, I say to myself, and so I shall put my hope in Him.” (Lamentations 3 v 22, 23, 24 TNJB)   

“Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, since wisdom and power are His alone” (Daniel 2 v 20 TNJB) but are shared with us, through the living Word of Christ Jesus.  

We partake of Him, as Your gift of love and mercy, dearest Father “…who confers wisdom on the wise and knowledge on those with discernment, who uncovers depths and mysteries, who knows what lies in darkness and light dwells with Him.” (v 21, 22)  

The very real presence of holy love has been made ours to claim, name, possess, enjoy, prosper from, according to the hope, peace and joy we are gifted, a most marvellous experience in entering and sustaining friendship with the Lord Jesus, by means of the industrious Holy Spirit. 

When we partake of the Lord Jesus’ most precious Body and Blood, it is as if You are saying to us personally, Father God  “ ‘O my son (daughter), give Me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following My ways.” (Proverbs 23 v 26 NLT) Oh that we would! 

We can, we will, if anointed by the Holy Spirit of faith and the power of prayer. Come, Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son, descend upon us and remain with us continuously. Draw us to the banqueting table, a feast of love and mercy set out before us. 

Oh, the benefit and blessing of partaking of the love, profound mercy, holy wisdom and universal truth, all offered us freely in the sacramental presence of Christ Jesus, our own Redeemer and Saviour. Life is changed immeasurably for the better. 

The richness, the fullness of this experience must be dependent upon us, the level of our belief, trust in and dependency upon the Holy Trinity, the new life Giver, a life of powerful love. 

The Lord Jesus is the Word of Life You generously offer us, Father God. May our ears of mind and heart

 always be open to His incredible love. “ ‘Obey Me and I will be your God, and you will be My people. Do

everything as I say, and all will be well’.” (Jeremiah 7 v 23 NLT)

“Come, let us worship and bow down” (Psalm 95 v 6 NLT) we bring You into every moment of our day, seeking Your will and guidance, “Joyful are those You discipline, LORD, those You teach with Your instructions. You give them relief from troubled times….” (Psalm 94 v 12, 13 NLT) 

“Let us kneel before You, the LORD our Maker, for You are our God. We are the people You watch over, the flock under Your care. If only we would listen to Your voice.” (based on Psalm 95 v 6, 7 NLT) but often we fail in this. 

We are sorry for our disobedience, our irreverence, for turning our attention of heart and mind away from You. Needlessly, we shun the wonderful gift of holy love’s guidance and safekeeping and we end up troubled, often seriously so. 

But in Your mercy, ever You offer us forgiveness in the Lord Jesus, by His crucifixion, made ours to claim in the Holy Eucharist. Here we come to realise that nothing other than our own wilful sinning, will separate us from Your love and mercy as won for us by Christ Jesus. 

The †however unlikely, is a place of triumphant love, of true mercy. Beyond death lies our eternal life, profoundly blessed by the One who offers His holiness to share this with us. 

In Christ’s life and death we place all our hope, with no measure of doubt. Jesus is the world’s Redeemer Saviour as long as we believe in Him, trusting in You, Father of mercy, calling on the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus lived and died to gift us life in all abundance now, the blessings of hope, peace and joy which flourish amidst love, and life eternal beyond the grave.  We are called to honour and experience Your love mercifully. Love is the solid ground upon which we stand. 

May we stand firm without faltering or failing. May there be no cause for stumbling, for we have a Deliverer in You, a Saviour in Christ Jesus and a Sanctifier in the Holy Spirit, always working for the good of those who love You as a Trinity of love and mercy, the greatest love possible. 

The Lord Jesus’ real presence is our firm encouragement, a real uplift of love, of compassion, offering us the harmony of the ever loving Trinity. Please reverse any failure of ours to love, honour, delight and serve You, Father God. 

We claim victory through the love evident at the † of forgiveness. Life is blessed by Christ Jesus. “ ‘And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those He has given Me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is My Father’s will that all who see His Son and believe in Him, should have eternal life’.” (John 6 v 39, 40 NLT) 

Let us then give glory to the Almighty Trinity, the glory of Christ Jesus’ real presence in and amongst us as Power, Triumph, Truth at all times and in all places, everywhere, our upbuilding and strengthening when we learn to hear Him clearly. Thank You for this experience of holy love and mercy.

A love and mercy summed up in one teaching: “ ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are My friends if you do what I command’.” (John 15 v 13, 14 NLT) as the living, abiding presence. 

“ ‘I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me,” (v 26) that we in our turn are called to testify to the life changing power of holy love and mercy.  

Our dependency in faith becomes a blessing of mercy regarding Your love for us, Father God. “Since You did not spare even Your own Son, but gave Him up for us all, won’t You also give us everything else?” (based on Romans 8 v 32 NLT)   

 I know You will! It is through the living presence of Christ Jesus we are enabled, by the Holy Spirit, to fix our mind  “On what is true, honourable, right, pure, lovely and admirable…excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4 v 8) “Putting into practice all we learned and received.” (based on v 9)   

And the result? Then You are with us as the God of peace and we rejoice in this experience. Most generously we are supplied with all we could ever need to live a glorious, victorious life of love, of mercy, in the One who accomplished this for us at the † and in the daily Holy Eucharist. All praise and thanks ever be, all to the Holy Trinity. Amen.