Ascension Day Getting Us Ready for Pentecost

Today is Ascension Day, but like many of us I am already thinking about Pentecost in 10 days time. Then we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, though for many churches it has become a day of prayer for peace. The following prayer came to me this morning as I thought about these two [...]

Ascension Day is Coming – Do You Know What it Means?

Thursday is Ascension Day the day on which we remember Jesus ascension into heaven 40 days after he rose from the dead.  What I did not realize until recently is that for many this is also a celebration of the new creation that God brought into being by the ascension of Jesus.  What beautiful imagery to [...]

A Prayer for Christ the King Sunday – Celebrating a King Like No Other

It is Christ the King Sunday, - the last Sunday of the liturgical year. This is the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before Adventand the beginning of a new liturgical year. Last year I did some research on this celebration and wrote this reflection: Celebrating Christ the King . This year I thought I would add a prayer that helps me [...]

Ascension Day & Pentecost – Distant neighbours

A couple of days ago I was thinking about the juxtaposition of Ascension day and Pentecost.  One to commemorate the ascent of Jesus the other to remember the descent of the Holy Spirit.    Ascension Day and Pentecost are closely linked.  It was because Jesus ascended into heaven that the Holy Spirit could descend and [...]

Morning Prayers for the Christmas Season

With Christmas just a few days away I thought that some of you might be interested in morning and evening prayers for the Christmas season.  I thought that I would post these in separate posts so here are the morning prayers God of joy and celebration God of love and mercy God of peace and [...]

Celebrating Christ the King – Last Sunday of the Liturgical Year

Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before Advent and the beginning of a new liturgical year.   I thought that this celebration must date from the Middle Ages, but discovered recently Pope Pius XI added it in 1925. He intended it as a day to celebrate and remember Christ’s kingship over all [...]

Happy New Year

Well the new year has dawned cold and blowy here in Seattle but still a day of looking forward and hoping for something better. On the liturgical calendar this is also Holy Name Day which commemorates the day on which Jesus was named.  Last year I posted a couple of prayers that you might like [...]

Christmas Eve Prayer

Rejoice this night with all the hosts of heaven For Christ our Saviour is born. He has come to foreigners travelling from afar, He has come to shepherds outcast in the fields, He has come bringing joy to the world. He has come, Heralding God’s eternal world of peace and justice. May we make ourselves [...]

Scripture Readings for Christmas and Epiphany Seasons

The Christmas season is almost upon us and most of us are giving a sigh of relief.  By the end of the week the festivities will be over, the shops will have stripped their Christmas decorations, disposed of their Christmas stock with huge sales and looking for the next secular celebration.  How wonderful to think [...]

Second Wednesday of Advent – More Great Resources

One of my challenges during the Advent season is which devotional to use and which scripture series to follow.  This year I have had so many options that I have tended to go from one to another.  Which is probably not good as this is the season that sets the pattern for the coming year. [...]