Grassroots Liturgist

We are in an unusual period of time.   Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has died but our next Pope has not yet been presented to us.   Perhaps this is an opportune time to reflect on the papacy.   After all, the authority of the Bishop of Rome is a significant reason why we are separated from our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations. The Peter that we read about in the gospels is not a simple, one-dimensional figure. He is presented as something of a hot head, prone to speaking before thinking or before seeing the whole picture, of making grandiose promises that he does not fulfil, and yet God blessed Simon Peter with remarkable insight when he, alone of all the apostles, stated “ You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God .” (Matt 16: 16)   Jesus replied, “ Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.   And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build...

Following the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on Easter Monday this week, there have been many stories and anecdotes about his life and deep faith cropping up in the news, on the internet, etc.   A repeated theme that I have noticed is how strongly his faith was rooted in his life of prayer, and how important the various sacred liturgies of the Church were in nurturing his faith.   Again we come back to the importance of full, conscious and active participation.   It is so easy for us weak, fallen mortals, to say or read the prayers or the Bible without really absorbing into our innermost being what it is that we are saying or reading. I have often noticed, however, that truly holy men and women naturally, without thought, make reference to the Bible, Psalms, or other prayers and readings when talking about or explaining the Christian faith.   I have seen it often in monks, nuns and other religious.   But also lay people. And one story that I read ...

What does it mean to be Christian? There is a temptation to think of our Christian faith as a set of teachings.   But Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that “ Christianity is not an intellectual system, a collection of dogmas, or moralism.   Christianity is instead an encounter, a love story; it is an event. ” In 19 th Century France, an old peasant would enter the church and sit silently each morning before going to work, and return to do the same before going home.   One day, Fr John Vianney, asked the man what he said to the Lord during his visits.   “I say nothing,” replied the man, “I look at him and he looks at me.” Prayer, the divine encounter, can be as simple as that.   We don’t need to make it overly complicated.   A friend of mine always starts communal prayer by saying, “Let us be aware that we are in the most holy presence of God.”   God is always beside us and simply being aware of that is prayer.   In our last reflection we...

In Lent, there are echoes from significant past events.   One of those is the Jewish people being led through the wilderness towards the land that God had promised them.   Despite some hiccups, they trusted God and allowed him to lead them. Their journey was not just a trek with a destination, but a pilgrimage – a journey of transformation; they were being made fit for the Promised Land.   Any pilgrimage that does not lead to a transformation of the person making it is, in the end, no more than a long walk. And Lent is very much a pilgrimage.   In his recent Message for Lent 2025 , Pope Francis asks us to reflect, “ Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone?   Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity? ” Pope Francis also reminds us that we do not make this pilgrimage alone, but in fellowship, as di...