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Gospel of 11 October 2025 Luke 11:27-28 At that time: As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!' But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!' Reflection on the Street Artwork This short Gospel passage begins with a woman praising the mother of Jesus for givi... Read More

The World Council of Churches (WCC) marked World Mental Health Day on 10 October with a morning prayer and reflections. The theme for this year's World Mental Health Day is "Compassion in Crisis: Restoring Hope and Mental Well-being." Lorena Catalina Bonilla, chair of the Mental Health Working Group of the WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing; and John Christensen, WCC project offi... Read More

Yesterday's announcement of a Gaza peace deal coincides with news that the young Palestinian Christian woman, Layan Nasir, has been sentenced to a further eight months in prison, without charge, by an Israeli court. The Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, is appealing for prayers for Layan's release. Bishop Guli has once again lit a candle in her Chapel which will remain... Read More

Pope Leo XIV has stressed the importance of Aid to the Church in Need's commitment to supporting persecuted Christians at a time when they and other religious minorities are falling victim to increased violence and discrimination. At a private audience today (Friday, 10th October) in the Vatican with leaders and other senior staff from the Catholic charity, the Pontiff stressed the centrality of ... Read More

The Archbishop of Sebastia Theodosios Atallah Hanna, from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem writes: Pray for Gaza after the war ends We raise our prayers and prayers this morning for the affected and plagued Gaza and for its people who are living in tragic and catastrophic situations due to the War of Genocide and its tragic consequences on the lives of citizens. The war is over, but... Read More

Hope and joy are wonderful gifts. The hostage crisis ends, the endless bombing and killing in Gaza stop. You would not think that Gaza had seen two previous ceasefires with exchanges of prisoners and captives and a brief flow of humanitarian aid. Palestinians have bitter grief and unimaginable suffering to digest: both genocide and a new form of Middle East apartheid. The road to their future has... Read More

Fr Gabriel Romanelli, Parish Priest at the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, posted this message in Spanish yesterday on Facebook after news of the ceasefire agreement. Many thanks to Verity Glover for her translation. Hello, dear brothers and sisters, I hope you are well. So, news has arrived that an agreement has been reached for the first phase, the first stage of what would be a kind of peace... Read More

Gospel of 10 October 2025 Luke 11:15-26 At that time: When Jesus had cast out a demon, some of the crowd said, 'He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons', while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided aga... Read More

Catherine Gorman at CAFOD writes: Today Pope Leo released the first major magisterial document of his papacy: Dilexi te (I have loved you). It is a profound and deeply moving document addressed to all Christians, reminding us that at the heart of our faith is the call to love our neighbour. It reminds us of the preferential love that God has for those who are poor, the most vulnerable and margina... Read More

Pope Leo XIV has released the first document of his pontificate, an Apostolic Exhortation called Dilexi te - 'I have loved you'. Underpinned by Scripture, Catholic social teaching, and the teaching of his predecessors, Dilexi te focuses on the Church's love for the poor and God's special concern for those living in poverty. It affirms the ways in which the magisterium should inform our pastoral pr... Read More

Aid agencies and peace campaigners have welcomed news of the Gaza ceasefire, but warn that there is a long road to recovery ahead. They point out that the current agreement is deeply flawed and does not offer Palestinians a just or lasting peace. Reacting to news that the first phase of a ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD Country representativ... Read More

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem welcomes with joy the announcement of an agreement that envisages a cessation of the attacks in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of the hostages, as well as that of Palestinian prisoners. The Patriarchate ardently hopes that this accord will be fully and faithfully implemented, so that it may mark the beginning of the end of this terrible war. It also st... Read More

The latest National March for Palestine takes place in London this Saturday. The Christian Bloc will be gathering for prayers in Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, SWC2H 8EP at 12 noon before joining the march. We will then walk down and join the route for the march to Downing Street - usually after the Jewish Bloc. Please help spread the word! We will praying and appealing for an end to the fami... Read More

Gospel of 9 October 2025 Matthew 13:47-52 At that time: Jesus said to the crowd, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw ... Read More