Jesus, who is called Christ, was born of Mary.

We give thanks to the Lord, with you, our Mother: as he was dying he gave us into your care.

The Virgin Mary is exalted high above the choirs of angels; on her head is a crown of twelve stars.

Blessed Mother, and pure Virgin, renowned queen of creation, may all who keep your festival experience the power of your intercession.

Perhaps you will be glad that we sit for the readings in Mass (other than the Gospel) for this morning's first reading is rather long! However, we are given the model for our liturgy of the word within Nehamiah Chapter 8.

Everyone stands - to hear the Word of God. The speaker is raised on a dais so that everyone can see and hear them.

The Word of God is explained - also translated into the common language(s) of the people present. This is the purpose of the Homily - you will know that ordinarily we keep notices etc to a different time in the celebration of Eucharist.

Perhaps it is easy to miss the point - but there is a special physical place for the readings. This in a Church is the Ambo - distinctively not the place of sacrifice, which is the Altar. In Nehemiah's day that might have been forced on them, as the temple was in ruins and the Word therefore had to be read just outside the gates. But it is important to remember that the Word has its own special place in our Churches - and should in our hearts.

The physical response to hearing the Word has now been lost in our tradition - but you will have seen others prostrating themselves, heads to the floor, in response. We perhaps do need to maintain that disposition in our hearts and minds - this is God speaking to us.

The Gospel today tells us that we have to be uncompromising in our discipleship. We are either following Jesus or we are not. The two examples Luke gives - of a recently bereaved man who is told to leave the dead to bury their dead, and the person who just asks if they may first go and say farewell to family and friends and then follow Jesus - are a deliberate use of the technique of hyperbole. Jesus would quite likely have compassion on the bereaved man and would expect us to be charitable to those we must leave as we move on in life.

This exaggerated speech technique - hyperbole - does point out to us that Jesus is saying something of great importance here. If family, friends - our comfortable way of life - are getting between us and progress on our journey with Christ - then we do have to make a difficult decision - following Christ is not always easy.

Right at the end of his Gospel, Luke does let us know that following Jesus will lead to us having the gifts we need to take our Lord into the lives of those we meet on our journey. So, it is quite possible that we will return to those we might have had to leave on the journey and pick up with them again, but this time God might inspire them with faith to also follow on the way.

roughly in the middle of his Gospel, Luke turns Jesus about and he begins the journey from Galilee towards Jerusalem.  Both a physical and a metaphysical direction - for Jesus did walk through the hills to Jerusalem, but also turned to face, and embrace his destiny there.

The physical journey begins by taking him directly through a Samaritan area - and there had been for generations open hostility between Samaritan and Jew. His direction of travel, and his purpose, were both rejected by samaritan peoples and there were words said! When is disciples proclaim the vengeance of Elijah - who had called on fire to hail down upon Samarian messengers (twice) - Jesus tells them no! Indeed - he rebukes them.

Perhaps the message to us today is to expect some kick back as we travel towards our Jerusalem - our encounter with God - and that we must not respond with anger. Jesu's way is to show what is right by our lives. That is why we say at the end of Mass:

"Go in Peace, Glorifying the Lord by your Lives"

The tradition of holding a particular angel as close to each one of our children is an ancient one, and it may be a surprise that it is not a doctrine of the church - but it is certainly deeply held as a belief. Recognising this, the church used in early times to celebrate all angels together on the feast of St Michael. A separate feast of the Guardian Angels began in Valencia in 1411. At the reform of the Breviary in the 16th century it was included among the local feasts, and it was raised to the status of a feast in the General Calendar in 1608, placed on the first free day after the feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

Perhaps as adults we tend to feel that we have grown out of the childish way of guardian angels - but there is certainly no particular reason why we should not build upon a relationship with one of those in the heavenly realm which began in our childhood. One way that this can be of benefit to us is by naming our guardian angel. Then you can talk with them, ask them to pray for you, and share your feelings with them.

Your guardian angel will be there for you always - and especially if you find yourself battling alone with some illness, sadness, painfulness or uncertainty: your angel will always answer your call when you call them by name.