REFLECTION FOR THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT ( YEAR C)
WEEK BEGINNING 23 MARCH 2025
The Gospel Reading is clearly the highpoint of the Liturgy of the Word at Mass. ‘Gospel’ is to mean ‘Good Spell’ meaning ‘Good News’.
The Reader of the Gospel passage is truly Our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Word of God. It is only in the Gospel Reading that we will hear His actual words i.e. direct speech.
This is why 2 altar servers stand either side of the lectern for the Gospel – with their candles, they enclose the Word of God, the Light of the World. This only takes place for the Gospel Reading.
The Homily exists to reflect the Liturgy of the Word on a given Sunday. It exists to break open the word(s) of Sacred Scripture appointed for that weekend.
(In this respect, it differs from a sermon, which could be on any religious or spiritual theme, aside from the actual content of the Readings at Sunday Mass).
The Creed is our Profession of Faith. On any Sunday, it will either be the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed. The latter is titled after the Church Council at Nicaea (Greece) in the year 325. It stated that Our Lord Jesus Christ is consubstantial with God the Father (i.e. of the same substance). The Nicene Creed refers to the 4 Marks of the Church i.e. it is ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC.
The Apostles’ Creed is shorter and refers to the COMMUNION OF SAINTS which is the fullness of the Church i.e. those in heaven (CHURCH TRIUMPHANT); those in Purgatory (CHURCH SUFFERING); believers on the earth (CHURCH MILITANT).
Good Shepherd Catholic Church 