Newsletter - 8 January 2023
The Magi, when they came to Bethlehem, “saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him” (Mt 2:11). Worshiping the Lord is not easy; it does not just happen. It requires a certain spiritual maturity and is the fruit of an at times lengthy interior journey.
The Liturgy of the Word offers us a phrase that can help us to understand more fully what it means to be worshipers of the Lord. It is “to lift up our eyes”.
To worship the Lord, we first have to “lift up our eyes”. In other words, not to let ourselves be imprisoned by those imaginary spectres that stifle hope, not to make our problems and difficulties the centre of our lives. This does not mean denying reality, or deluding ourselves into thinking that all is well. On the contrary, it is a matter of viewing problems and anxieties in a new way, knowing that the Lord is aware of our troubles, attentive to our prayers and not indifferent to the tears we shed.
This way of seeing things, which despite everything continues to trust in the Lord, gives rise to filial gratitude. When this happens, our hearts become open to worship. On the other hand, when we focus exclusively on problems, and refuse to lift up our eyes to God, fear and confusion creep into our hearts, giving rise to anger, bewilderment, anxiety and depression. Then it becomes difficult to worship the Lord. Once this happens, we need to find the courage to break out of the circle of our foregone conclusions and to recognize that reality is much greater than we imagine. Lift up your eyes, look around and see. The Lord asks us first to trust in him, because he truly cares for everyone.
When we lift up our eyes to God, life’s problems do not go away, no; instead we feel certain that the Lord grants us the strength to deal with them. The first step towards an attitude of worship, then, is to “lift up our eyes”. Our worship is that of disciples who have found in God a new and unexpected joy. Worldly joy is based on wealth, success or similar things, always with ourselves at the centre. The joy of Christ’s disciples, on the other hand, is based on the fidelity of God, whose promises never fail, whatever the crises we may face.
From Pope Francis’ Homily for Epiphany
Focus of the Week
COCKFOSTERS SUNDAY EVENING MASS
Our next Sunday evening mass will be on 15th January 2023, at 5.30pm. The Mass includes music in a relaxed atmosphere, and all are welcome to visit and socialise in the Cockfosters Parish Pub afterwards.
NET FOR GOD PRAYER GROUP
The prayer group resumes Tuesday 17th January 2023, 8-9.30pm to praise and listen to the Word of God. People from all walks of life are welcome to join us to pray and practice charisms.