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At the start of this week we began our daily Rosary reflections on the Mysteries of light. In the introductory post I referred to an online day retreat I took part in the week earlier with the theme of light, using Leonard Cohen’s famous lyric as a starter:
There is a crack in everything,
that’s how the light gets in.
I then commented that our problem is not that we don’t know about the light, but that we don’t realise the place where it is most noticeable is when it breaks through darkness. In the midday sun where light is fully present, we don’t notice the light. However in darkness we yearn for and recognise the light that we need.
You will make the connections with the light and darkness situations in your own lives.
Last year I suggested that people might like to take the initiative to organise gatherings at cafes and bars to be together to chat about the life and faith. My little suggestion was met with unexpected enthusiasm and gatherings were held across Aotearoa as well as in other countries.
People would simply take the initiative to send me the date, time and place where they would be waiting with the FFF cross (print at this link) on the table, waiting for whoever the Lord sent to the, and the conversation simply happened for the set time.
Some people dropped in for ten minutes, others stayed for much longer. I turned up unannounced at several of these gatherings to find two or three and a couple of times more than ten people, mostly previously unknown to each other, sitting, chatting, eating and drinking and chatting more about life and all its ups and downs.
Those who made the effort to gather and who took the time to chat were simply letting the light in.
And today as we complete the Luminous Mysteries I’m noting that both the first and the fifth Mysteries of light feature food and drink: Cana and the Last Supper.
I often recall that more than any other single activity recorded in the gospel Jesus was eating and drinking.
Pope Francis last weekend when opening two years of the Synodal journey refers to this: placing ourselves in an environment with others, letting the Holy Spirit be the protagonist, the chief player, the leader of the conversation, the centre:
“I am certain the Spirit will guide us and give us the grace to move forward together, to listen to one another and to embark on a discernment of the times in which we are living, in solidarity with the struggles and aspirations of all humanity. I want to say again that the Synod is not a parliament or an opinion poll; the Synod is an ecclesial event and its protagonist is the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit is not present, there will be no Synod.” Pope Francis launching Synod journey: Saturday 9 October 2021
Today FFF launches a way in which you can arrange these gatherings, all of it online thanks to your encouragement and your donations. Visit the Events page or click on the link below and create a FFF gathering. I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit, the protagonist, will use your initiative to work miracles of support and encouragement for many.
The upcoming events and the invitation to initiate an event appear at the bottom of every FFF post. View the calendar to view the full list of upcoming events.
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Today, the end of the week, let’s put the five Mysteries of Light together. You might be able to pray the Luminous Mysteries without accompaniment now, but if you would like the support join Bishop Robert Barron at this link.
First Luminous Mystery: The Baptism of Jesus
Second Luminous Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana
Third Luminous Mystery: Jesus’ Proclamation of the Reign of God
Fourth Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration of Jesus
Fifth Luminous Mystery: The Last Supper
“Food in the first luminous
Mystery,
“Drink, the fifth luminous
Mystery,
“Body and blood of Christ ”
OMGEE,never thought of
It that way, “IN the
lumonious Mysterys.
thankyou again,Fr John.