Sunday reflections

Most of us can only admire those who reach the top of their profession. We realise what commitment is required to be an Olympic athlete, or to be a virtuoso musician: the hours of practice and training which culminate in winning trophies or playing in the great concert halls of the world.

If we hear something interesting about someone, we might be inclined to search for more information about that person. But Mark in today’s gospel tells us about a contrasting attitude displayed by the people of Nazareth, Jesus’ own kinfolk.

Is suffering part of human life? Does evil exist? Do we die? Of course, we are realists. We know all that is true in relation to ourselves and the millions of people who are refugees, victims of war and terrorism, the homeless and the lonely.

The Shetland Islands are north of Scotland and just below the Arctic Circle. They are a group of one hundred islands with only sixteen inhabited. There is a daily ferry for travellers, but also private boats for hire.

A conversation overheard on a busy city tram went like this: “Excuse me, stranger. But do you have the time?”

In the fifth century, St Augustine taught people that if they truly loved the Eucharist they would become what they eat.

Today we celebrate that God comes to us, communicates with us, and relates to us in three distinct ways as three distinct persons. It is no accident that we celebrate Trinity Sunday at this particular point in the liturgical year — after Easter, Ascension and Pentecost — because it was through those events that the disciples realised that God is a Trinity of three divine persons, and yet only one God.

Breathing in the spirit Pentecost Year B 23 May 2021 ‘Stay Connected’ says the sign outside the church at the top of the street and there’s a quote from the first letter of John: ‘Let us love one another for love is from God.’ This past year we’ve heard quite a bit about staying connected,

Leaving the family home is one of life’s biggest transitions for children. There are many reasons why they ‘leave the nest’. It may be to go to university, to start a job, to assert independence from parental control, to live with friends, to travel the world, to get married or to break free from difficult family situations.

What constitutes a Christian community? What makes it authentic? St John’s gospel tries to answer these questions. Jesus uses a simple agricultural image – a vine and its branches – to illustrate his teaching on community.