BAPTISM AND SPIRITUAL READING

 

                                                                                                              Freepik

Baptism as transformative sacrament

In Jesus Christ, the threefold mission of priest, prophet, and king is perfectly united. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, every Christian is drawn into that same life and mission. Baptism is not merely symbolic; it is truly transformative. The sacrament cleanses from sin, infuses sanctifying grace, and configures the soul to Christ. In this way, the baptised person is consecrated - set apart for God - and made a participant in Christ’s Church and work.

Priest, prophet and king

As priest, the baptised are called to offer spiritual sacrifices. Their prayers, sufferings, works, and daily lives are united to Christ. As prophet, they are entrusted with the truth of the gospel. Baptised are called not only to believe but to witness - through word and example - to the sanctifying Presence of God in the world. As king, they are given the dignity and responsibility to govern their own hearts, to resist sin, and to serve others in charity. Baptised are to reflect Christ’s kingship which is rooted not in domination, but in love and self-gift. These three roles are not abstract titles; they are living realities which shape the entire Christian vocation.

Spiritual reading

For those who have received the grace of Baptism, spiritual reading is not merely an intellectual exercise, but a living continuation of that grace. Spiritual reading nourishes the soul, deepens faith, and shapes the Christian life. 

Essential sources

Among the most essential sources of such reading is Sacred Scripture, the inspired Word of God, through which the baptised encounter Christ Himself. Regular prayerful reading of the Bible, especially the gospels, forms the heart and mind according to the Life of Christ. This allows the believer to grow in wisdom, discernment, and love.

Pastoral theology

Alongside Scripture, works in pastoral theology can greatly assist the baptised in understanding how faith is lived out within the Church and in the world. These writings help bridge doctrine and daily life. Thus they offer guidance regarding moral questions, spiritual growth, and the care of souls. They are particularly helpful in forming a mature Christian conscience, thus empowering individuals to respond to the challenges of modern life with clarity and charity.

Philosophy

Philosophy, especially that which is rooted in the Christian tradition, also plays an important role. By engaging with philosophical thought, the baptised are led to a deeper appreciation of truth, reason, and the nature of the human person. Such study strengthens faith by showing its harmony with reason. This helps believers to articulate and defend their beliefs in a thoughtful and coherent manner.

Devotional literature

Devotional literature offers yet another rich avenue for spiritual growth. These works, often simple in style but profound in depth, foster a spirit of prayer and intimacy with God. They guide the reader with the cultivation of virtues. They encourage meditation on the mysteries of faith. Devotional literature assists the reader to develop a habitual awareness of God’s Presence. Through such reading, the baptised are encouraged to grow in holiness in the midst of ordinary life.

Autobiographical writings

Autobiographical writings of the saints provide powerful witness to the transformative power of grace. The life and writings of Thérèse of Lisieux, especially in her work Story of a Soul, reveal the beauty of a simple yet profound path to holiness grounded in trust and love. Such personal accounts make sanctity tangible and accessible, showing that holiness is not reserved for the extraordinary. Holiness is attainable in the hidden and humble circumstances of everyday life.

Spiritual writers

The works of great spiritual writers throughout the history of the Church - such as St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, St Teresa of Ávila, and St John of the Cross - offer profound insights into the interior life. Their writings explore the depths of prayer, trials of spiritual growth and the soul’s journey toward union with God. Engaging with these authors can help the baptised to navigate personal spiritual paths with greater confidence and understanding.

Ultimate aim

In all these forms of reading, the ultimate aim is the same: to draw closer to God, grow in holiness, and live more fully the grace received in Baptism.

Why not make a habit of spiritual reading?

If you have not done much spiritual reading before, why not start today?

Get a free Bible for your phone or tablet

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St Thérèse of Lisieux "Story of a soul" 

https://www.acatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/The-Story-of-a-Soul.pdf

Free traditional Catholic books

https://www.traditionalcatholic.co/free-catholicbooks/ 

With thanks to bible.com, acatholic.org and traditionalcatholic.co

Image courtesy of Freepik and CN Whittle "Spiritual reading" 

EASTER BLESSING

 

"May God bless all of His creations, especially us human beings who live in perilous times. Happy Easter."                                Simon Timothy Dehal

From "Dear Editor", Sunday World, Page 16, April 5 2026

THE QUIET PLEA OF THE SMALL

 

There are online videos of cats, dogs, mice and animals which are sweet, and dear to watch. There is joy in watching an animal doing a "happy, happy" walk, or a bird placing wings around a loved human with deep affection.

Yet sometimes a click of the computer mouse shows a scene with an animal wailing, or with traumatised face, or mouse or moth being chased in fear of life. These are sad things. 

God places us on earth to protect, not torture little ones as clickbait. 

Situations are funny until they cause heartache, distress or fear to another.

Then they just are cruel.

The quiet plea of the small

A small screen glows in the quiet night,
A thousand lives flicker in borrowed light;
Soft paws dancing, bright eyes at play,
A kitten tumbling in threads of day.

A dog runs free through fields of green,
Joy unmeasured, pure, serene;
A mouse peeks out with trembling nose,
In simple trust that gently grows.

And oh, how good, how right it feels
When laughter lifts and kindness heals;
For in such moments, light is shown
Of love the Maker calls His own.

For God who shaped both fur and feather,
Wove fragile lives in care together;
And placed us here, with mind and hand,
As gentle stewards of the land.

But then the tone begins to change;
A darker note, a crueler range.
A trembling cry, a frantic flight,
A tiny creature gripped by fright.

A chase made sport, a fear made show,
A helpless heart with nowhere to go;
The clicks increase, the laughter grows;
But something deeper in us knows.

For what is mirth that feeds on pain?
What jest is worth another’s strain?
When terror is the price we pay,
The light of joy has slipped away.

The wailing cry, the panicked eyes,
Are not a joke, nor small disguise;
They speak a truth both sharp and clear:
That cruelty dressed as fun is fear.

Would we make sport of trembling souls?
Turn sacred life to passing roles?
Or hear within each fragile plea
A call to guard, not injury?

For even least and voiceless things
Are held beneath the King of kings;
And every life, however small,
Is known, is seen, is loved in all.

So let our laughter still be bright,
But born of kindness, born of light.
Let joy be clean, and hearts be wise,
With mercy shining through our eyes.

For we were never made to harm,
But to protect with open arm;
And every creature, great or small,
Is not our plaything - but our call.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle, "Cozy night with a cat companion" 

IN THE HUSH BEFORE THE DAWN OF GRACE

 

God sent Jesus to earth to be born in a stable, among oxen, donkeys and sheep. Extra-biblical traditions name camels, horses and other livestock as also in the stable at the time of Christ's Birth. 

God looked down and chose that His Son be born in a palace of innocence and love, among those who do not murder or hurt or hate.

The Gospel of God's Son would first be preached to the innocent of the world who would look upon Christ and love Him, not seek to kill Him. 

So Jesus came to be born of a Virgin Mother and protected by a devoted Foster-Father, among the loving presence of sweet animals.

Where no hand was raised against Him

In the hush before the dawn of grace,
When heaven bent to kiss the earth,
God beheld the world of restless hearts
And chose, with tender, sovereign worth -

Not marble halls nor thrones of might,
Nor courts where pride and power reign,
But lowly beams and borrowed light,
A stable worn by wind and rain.

There, where the oxen gently fed,
And donkeys breathed the quiet air,
Where sheep in drowsy clusters spread
Their wool like clouds of patient prayer;

And, as old whispers softly tell,
Where camels knelt and horses stood,
A humble, breathing, living well
Of creaturely and blameless good . . .

“I give My Son,” the heavens said,
“To dwell where innocence is known,
A palace not by kings be made,
But hearts that harm not flesh and bone.

Let Him be first by these adored,
Who do not wound, nor scheme, nor hate;
Let beasts receive their quiet Lord
Before the proud and learned great.

For they will gaze and not conspire,
They will draw near and not condemn;
No hidden blade, no vengeful fire,
Only a gentle warmth in them.”

So came the Child, so small, so mild,
Jesus Christ in straw and shadow laid to rest,
The Holy One, the undefiled,
At peace on nature’s humble breast.

And Mary watched with wondering eyes,
Her heart a cradle deep and wide,
While Saint Joseph kept his faithful guise,
A guardian standing close beside.

No sword was raised, no hatred stirred,
No voice of scorn, no cruel decree;
Only the quiet, living Word
Among the meek of land and lea.

O mystery soft as breathing hay,
O wisdom clothed in earthen guise -
That Love should choose such hidden way,
And open first the simplest eyes.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle, "Nativity scene in a quiet stable" 

OUR LADY'S CALL FOR PEACE

 

Our Lady of Tears

O Mother robed in quiet light,
Whose heart once cradled Heaven’s King,
You walk again through shadowed fields
Where broken bells no longer ring.

You see the smoke that veils the sky,
You hear the cries no words can hold;
The child who calls for vanished arms,
The young grown weary, fierce and old.

Your tears fall soft on bloodied earth,
Like dew upon a wounded land;
Each drop a prayer, each sigh a plea
We scarcely pause to understand.

For where a soldier falls in dust,
Or limps through life forever scarred,
You stand beside him in his night,
A mother keeping solemn guard.

Where hunger gnaws at empty homes,
And silence answers orphaned cries,
You gather sorrow to your heart
And lift it gently to the skies.

O Lady, still you call to us -
Not with the thunder war has known,
But in the hush between the guns,
A voice of mercy, soft and lone:

“Let peace be sown where hatred grew,
Let love make whole what fear has torn;
For every child of God is mine -
No life was made for grief or scorn.”

Yet still we turn, yet still we wound,
Yet still the earth drinks bitter rain…
How long, O Mother, must you weep
Before we learn from human pain?

Teach us to lay our weapons down,
To see your Son in every face;
To choose the path of sacrifice,
And build a world of healing grace.

O Lady of the silent tears,
Pray we may hear, and not delay -
That we, your children, rise at last
And answer peace… today.

Image courtesy of Chatgpt with CN Whittle. "Virgin Mary protects amid war's ruin" 

HE HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL. CHRIST, AFTER THE RESURRECTION

 

When Jesus rose from the dead, the great burial stone had shaken in earthquake before warrior angels of light. As human soldiers fell as ones dead before the Power of the Holy One, the early morning birds hushed their song in awe at the happenings.

Jesus mulled over recent events; His grievous jailing, torture and dreadful death. His vandalization of the gates of Hades and the confrontation with satan the great usurper. The journey in which the Redeemer led the peoples through newly opened celestial gates into Heaven.

Although the Son of God was busy with so many things, He found time to turn back. In remembrance of the teachings received during His Youth from His beloved Mother and trusted Foster-Father, Jesus did even the smallest thing well. 

He neatly folded the linen cloth which bore witness to His sufferings. Such a small thing. Such a great thing. "He has done all things well."

Let us follow Christ's example, in the tiny details of life. If we do, our character will be so moulded as we follow in the  Footsteps of the Son, that the great things will take care of themselves.

He Has Done All Things Well

Before the dawn could find its voice,
the earth itself began to speak:
a trembling hymn beneath the stone
that sealed the Silence of the world.

The ground convulsed -
not in chaos, but in recognition.
For Heaven’s warriors, bright as fire,
descended clothed in living light.

The stone, so heavy with despair, 
was cast aside like breath on glass.
No hand of man could stand that hour.
The guards fell down as though undone,
as though the weight of Glory
had unmade their strength.

Even the birds,
those heralds of the morning,
paused upon the edge of song;
their fragile notes held back in awe,
as if creation itself were listening.

Then Christ arose.

Not as one returning,
but as One who had conquered return;
the Living One from death’s deep night,
the Victor over every grave.

He stood in quiet radiance,
the Wounds still speaking love,
the Body once so broken
now bearing endless life.

In that sacred stillness,
Jesus remembered -

The long night’s sorrow -
the kiss, the chains, the mocking cries:
the scourge, the thorns, the lifted Cross -
each pain a thread in Love’s great weaving.

He remembered deeper still;
the gates of Hades torn apart,
the clash with the ancient thief,
the keys reclaimed from trembling hands,
the countless souls led out of shadow
into the widening light of Heaven.

So much;
so vast;
so world-renewing.

And yet…

Jesus turned aside.

Not to thunder.
Not to summon hosts again.
But to something small.

The linen cloth,
still bearing witness to His suffering,
lay where it had been cast in haste.

The Master,
Risen Lord of all creation,
stooped.

With Hands that broke the gates of death,
Jesus folded the cloth:
carefully,
intentionally,
as once He had learned
in the quiet home of Nazareth.

The teachings of His Mother; gentle, steadfast.
The guidance of His Foster-Father; faithful, true.
The hidden years,
the ordinary holiness of daily things.

Nothing forgotten.
Nothing beneath Him.

Such a small act;
a folded cloth in an empty tomb.

Such a great act -
a life that leaves no love undone.

For He who conquered death itself
did not neglect the smallest good.

“He has done all things well.”

And so He teaches us -
not only in wonders that shake the earth,
but in the quiet shaping of the soul:

That greatness is not only
in the gates we break,
nor in the battles we endure,
nor in the victories Heaven proclaims -

but in the unseen faithfulness
of every moment given to God.

Fold what is yours to fold.
Tend what is yours to tend.
Love in the smallest places.

For when the heart is formed
in the Footsteps of the Son,
even the smallest things
become eternal.

Thereafter the great things,
in their time -
will follow.

With thanks to Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoWuHk43mx4

EASTER RESURRECTION SERVICE

 

Easter Resurrection Service

Opening Reflection

Today we gather in spirit and in truth to celebrate the great joy of the Resurrection. The stone has been rolled away. The silence of the tomb has been broken. Where there was darkness, now there is light. Where there was sorrow, now there is hope. Christ is risen; alive, present, and among us.

Scripture Reading
A reading from the Holy Gospel (John 20:1-9):

"On the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put Him!"

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' Head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw, and believed."

Words of comfort:

"The Resurrection is not only an event of the past; it is a living reality. The empty tomb speaks to every place in our lives where we feel loss, fear, or uncertainty. It reminds us that God is always at work, even when we cannot yet see the outcome.

Like Mary Magdalene, we sometimes stand weeping outside what we think is the end. Yet just beyond our tears, Christ is calling us by name. The Resurrection tells us that love is stronger than death, and that no darkness can overcome the Light of Christ.

Let us rely on Christ in the world's times of difficulty. Let us believe that He will triumph over war, sin and death: all in good time.

As it seemed that all was lost when Christ sighed His last breath on the cross, so it will be in our lives. Jesus bowed up His Head and gave up His Spirit. Then Jesus, Son of God, went down into Hades. The Saviour vandalized the great gates of the Underworld of the dead, and confronted satan. Jesus wrested the keys of sin and death from the great usurper. Christ then led God's beloved children from the depths of Sheol, through newly opened celestial gates into Heaven.

Just so shall it be with us. Christ will triumph, He will overcome all wars, death, injustice, hatred, greed, pursuit of wealth in untoward ways, and instate His Royal Rule for ever. We just need to bide our time, and realize that the Kingdom of Heaven among us is a seed rooted and growing, not yet the full tree.

Have patience, dear one! Trust when all seems fallen, dear Reader! As satan stood in disarray in Hades, all his plans brought to nought, the great plan of God marched inexorably onwards. Satan had thought that the death of the humanity of Christ on the cross would bring Jesus into the realm of the underworld. The fallen angel vastly underestimated the Plan of God.

Just so do the powers and elements of darkness today in our world, underestimate the great power of Christ. Keep on praying, dear Reader. Keep on believing. Keep on hoping. Keep on trusting.

We may suffer, we may be persecuted, we may die, loved ones may fall before us. But, in the end, Jesus Christ the Son of God will gloriously triumph, as He triumphed over sin and death.

One day we will stand at the Resurrection of all peoples, and marvel: never have I seen such a sight. Yes, this will happen. God's Plan cannot be overturned or turned back.

Let us thank God for the glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, remain steadfast and faithful during our trials here on earth, and look forward to the coming of the Kingdom which will without fail, take place one day as promised.

Until then, let us not break faith."

Prayer of the Faithful
"Let us bring our prayers before the risen Lord:

• For the Church, that she may boldly proclaim the joy of the Resurrection
• For those burdened by sorrow, that they may find hope in the promise of new life
• For our communities, that peace and compassion may flourish
• For our own hearts, that we may recognize the risen Christ walking with us each day.

Risen Lord, hear our prayer."

Breaking of bread:

Priest; "Almighty God, You sent Your only Son to our world because You loved us so much. We praise You, Father, that on the night before He gave His Life, our Lord Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying; "Take, eat, this is My Body which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me."

Congregation; "Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life."

Priest; "After the same manner, He took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying; "Take this, all of you, and drink, for this is My Blood; the Blood of the New Covenant which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of Me.

Congregation: "Lord Jesus, You are the Cup of Life, the wine that is blessed for our salvation."

(Here spiritually partake of the Body and Blood of Christ within the Eucharist. Be assured He has come to you.)

Spend some time in silent prayer.

The Lord's Prayer:

Priest and congregation; "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as It is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, Amen."

Closing Prayer
Priest; "Lord Jesus,
You have conquered death and opened for us the way to eternal life.
Help us to live as people of the Resurrection;
bearing light where there is darkness,
bringing hope where there is despair,
showing love to all.
Remain with us, Lord,
and make our hearts burn with the joy of Your Presence.
Amen."

Blessing

Priest: "May the joy of the risen Christ fill your heart,
may His Peace rest upon you,
and may His Light guide your way;
today and always.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!"

Final hymn: Christ the Lord is risen today

With thanks to Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8on0PjPM01g?feature=share

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnTJcQlZAF4