Reflections & Homilies

In Africa, we have had some excellent kings who have served their people with dedication and commitment: Moshoeshoe, the founder king of the baSotho, brought his people high into the Maloti Mountains to escape the difaqane wars of the 18th Century. He was a skilful diplomat and a man of peace. Goodwill Zwelitini of the Zulus was a largely powerless and ceremonial monarch, and yet a great force for... Read More

Christ the King Hidden Image of Christ How do you envisage the Lord Jesus? For many of us that question doesn't appear too often, and I suppose we fall back on the images we have been used to from childhood-yet there are many different depictions of Jesus the Christ from his life as Jesus of Nazareth to the one hinted at in this feast, Christ the Ruler of All, a cosmic Christ difficult for our hum... Read More

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time A form of behaviour The writer of 2 Thessalonians is clear on what behaviour is required of us as Christians in our daily lives, reminding us of something we indulge in far too often and suggesting that we change our manner of behaviour, so as not to be idle and refrain from being busybodies:' We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderl... Read More

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at the Church of Saint Anselmo on the Aventine Hill in Rome on Tuesday, 11 November, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of its dedication and encourages the Benedictines in their mission. He invited the Benedictines to respond to the challenging times we live in, by placing Christ at the centre of their lives. "The sudden changes we are witnessing provoke and quest... Read More

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. In the UK, Remembrance Sunday. This time of year is one in which our beloved dead are especially remembered, not only have we had All Souls, but our own religious commemorations of the faithful departed and the annual services of Remembrance make sure that those gone before us are not forgotten but recollected, remembered, and cherished. It is a wonderful gift ... Read More

In The Pope Video for November 2025, the Holy Father asks us to pray for those who are struggling with thoughts of suicide. He reminds us that all of us are vulnerable and that Christian communities must be welcoming, open to listening, and full of hope. Every day about 2,000 people in the world take their lives. It is the third leading cause of death among young people.In this context, we are inv... Read More

The Most Reverend John Wilson, Archbishop of Southwark, gave this homily today at the Mass of Thanksgiving in St George's Cathedral, Southwark, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Archbishop Romero Trust and the 10th anniversary of the Oscar Romero Trust Award Hebrews 10:32-36 · Psalm 125 (126) · Luke 24:13-35 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ If you didn't know it already, like so many o... Read More

Fr David M Neuhaus SJ writes: When good Pope John XXIII was thinking about the "aggiornamento" of the Church at the end of the 1950s and the convening of a council, the Church's attitude towards other religions was not on the agenda. However, in June 1960, the Jewish French historian Jules Isaac visited him and raised the issue of the Catholic teaching of contempt for Jews and Judaism through the ... Read More

Canon Pat gave this homily at Holy Apostles, Pimlico, today: On the rare occasion when I drive on the motorway behind those lorries carrying huge containers, I find myself thinking of those 39 people who were discovered inside one some years ago. No one knew their names, their nationalities or where they had come from. They were nobodies who had been shoved in there - into a sealed, refrigerated,... Read More

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Those who enter into that extraordinary yet simple relationship with the Living God in prayer, often find that their spiritual journey is not only adventurous at times, but sometimes has moments when they also face the aridity of absence, of a type of desolation where the Lord appears not to be present. The great spiritual guides are clear that this can be part an... Read More

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa gave the following homily today on the Solemnity of Our Lady, Queen of Palestine at the Shrine of Our Lady of Palestine in Deir Rafat. Dear Excellencies, dear brothers and sisters, The Lord give you His peace! As in previous years, I would like to reflect on some of the insights that the Word of God offers us on this beautiful day ... Read More

Twenty ninth Sunday of the Year I asked myself, what three things do I take from our readings this Sunday? The answer is simple, not so much based on any great exegesis or theological insight but on the immediate things that emerge for me in each of the three readings, and it is these reflections I shall share with you: Firstly, I would wish to have a better appreciation of the gift of Holy Script... Read More

Archbishop Eamon Martin celebrated Mass today to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of Saint Oliver Plunkett, and fifty years since the canonisation of the martyred saint, in 1975, by Pope Paul VI. During today's homily Archbishop Martin said: "I am praying these days through the intercession of Saint Oliver Plunkett" - for success of the Middle East's fragile peace agreement, that hostages ... Read More

Catholics from around the world have taken up Pope Leo's call to come together to pray the Rosary for peace in the world's conflict zones with a particular focus on an end to the war in Gaza. In the Church's calendar, October is dedicated to the Rosary. In Rome, the weekend of 11-12 October marked the celebration of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality. Closer to home, Cardinal Vincent Nichols led ... Read More