A Moment To Pause: Friday 15th May 2026 #saintpaul #podcast

Good morning again. Thanks for joining the Oblate  family today for our time of reflection, and prayer also as we join Frankie MacDonald in Glasgow this week. Let's begin our day: in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Now let's remember to pray this month for peace. And as we see the Hail Mary while asking for peace in our communities, we invoke Our Lady. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Our Lady, Queen of peace, pray for us. Today's gospel is taken from Saint John's Gospel, chapter 16, and the reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles, also chapter 16. We're given some historical background to the Acts, as we hear that Saint Paul is in Corinth. At that time Corinth was a very cosmopolitan port city, and not only was it given over to pagan worship, but also in morality. Yet it was in this environment that Saint Paul preached the message of the cross. As he stayed true to Jesus’ teachings in the midst of the threats from the leaders of the synagogue, Paul stood firm even under the scrutiny of the Roman proconsul, and was found without fault, causing his accusers to seek vengeance on some of their own number. The Cross of Jesus is the power behind Saint Paul's words, which reach the proconsul and impelled him to dismiss the accusers that Paul faced, and also the dire consequences for Saint Paul had the charges been upheld. Can we too have such faith in our dealings in this world? But more importantly, can we ensure that our dealings in this life are centred around Jesus's teachings? Let's try hard to follow the path that Jesus has set before us, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us now, in all this.  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Finally, let's ask for the intercession of Our Blessed Lady today as we seek peace in the world and remember all of those who are actually sick and housebound at this time that we know. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for them. Thanks again for joining us in this reflection. Amen. #faith #prayer #persecution #strong #peace #jesus #religion #christianity #saintpaul #mary #popeleo #feast #apostles