Reflections & Homilies

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time On first hearing or reading through it the gospel this Sunday is simply quite awful. It's a dreadful tale of forced hospitality, murder and naked brutality. We can pick up the dreadful sequence of the tale, firstly those invited to the wedding feast of the King's Son are summoned, and not untypically for a down trodden people resist this summons : 'He ( the Ki... Read More

Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time and Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi and 800th Anniversary of his death I write this in gentle recuperation in my family village in France. Surrounding me are the forests and lakes of the first plateau of the Alps in the Jura Department of the Bourgogne-Franche Comte Region, but particularly in this locale of the great vine growing region of what is called th... Read More

There are wounds that often remain invisible and are lived in the deepest solitude. Those experiencing a mental illness usually face, in addition to their own suffering, the weight of stigma and the indifference of those who look the other way. Faced with this reality, the Church is called to be an open home, a community that listens without judging and that accompanies. Pope Leo, in his prayer in... Read More

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 136 I felt a sense of deep joy when I watched the live broadcast of Vespers in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Friday evening, presided over by Pope Leo XIV. There is the same presence of a human being who has lived life with us, similar to that of Pope Francis. The self same understanding a a very French Catholic spirituality of Christ's mother, t... Read More

Twenty fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time We have a beautiful sandwich in our Sunday readings, the two ends are fairly easy to discover, the first is from the Prophet Isaiah who tells us that the oracle of the Lord is fairly unequivocal when it comes to the way human beings perceive the Most High, it's a useful reminder to all of us, and in particular to those of you who listen, watch or read the blogs... Read More

During his Angelus address yesterday, to pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the power of forgiving others as Christ has forgiven us, in order to counter hatred, division and violence, and promote peace and love. Forgiveness spreads a healing love that can overcome all human hatred, resentment and division, he said. "Forgiveness is indispensable, and without it, we ... Read More

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 130 Anger, even righteous anger, is never a pleasant experience for those at the receiving end of it. Too often it fragments the harmony of life, shatters the peace we may enjoy and inserts something darker into our horizon. Many of us do have tempers and part of our adult life (at least we hope) is to try and deal with that aspect of our character... Read More

Bishop Martin Hayes Bishop of Kilmore, delivered the following homily during the 11am RTÉ One televised Mass broadcast live from the Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim, Co Cavan, in the Diocese of Kilmore. We live in a world where we see, only too clearly, that some people are doing wrong. Most often, we don't know how to respond? Do we challenge them? Are we entitled or right to challenge th... Read More

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 127 One of my abiding favourite memories of my years in the monastery is still the Office of Vigils in the early morning, and psalm 94/5 which was the Invitatory psalm, the call to worship as it were. This Sunday it is our responsorial psalm and not only worth praying through carefully but taking time to reflect on its words. Though it has an easy s... Read More

Water is a sacred gift that sustains life. We see a sign of God's generosity in water. It quenches our thirst and makes the earth fertile. In Baptism, it becomes a symbol of his renewing grace. Taking care of water is also a form of safeguarding life and of recognising that this resource belongs to everyone, without distinction. In his prayer intention for September, Pope Leo invites us to pray th... Read More

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 124 Jeremiah as he appears in our first reading today is a very sad figure, and pondering on that passage, we have to accept the very real negativity found there and perhaps honestly admit, that we can be very like Jeremiah in this mood of despondency and internal anger which he articulates by chastising God for having 'seduced', 'duped' or deceive... Read More

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 121 We can learn a lot by sometimes taking a metaphorical journey into the great books of Civilisation. All of them have something to offer us no matter who we are or where we come from. In fact leaving the safety and security of the familiar and taking the time and trouble to explore and enjoy the great Classics can open for us some surprising gift... Read More

In England and Wales this year, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 1. Mary in our Christian journey. Where did you first discover a love and devotion to Our Lady, Saint Mary the mother of our Saviour? In our Catholic tradition it is not difficult to discover her either in image or devotion because she is so deeply rooted in our faith, particularly in forms of popular expres... Read More

Usama Nicola writes in Bethlehem Updates: What does it mean to choose joy when the reality around you gives you so many reasons to be afraid? Can joy itself become a form of resistance? I have been thinking about this a lot recently, especially during these summer weeks when our calendars seem to be filled with weddings, engagements, graduations, family gatherings, and visits with friends. We re... Read More