Reflections & Homilies

During his second Jubilee Catechesis today, (Saturday 1 February), Pope Francis offered a reflection on the meaning of conversion, hope and the transformative power of faith, encouraging the faithful to rethink their lives within the framework of "God's dream". Conversion, he explained is a "change of direction," that allows us to change the way we see things in our lives. It is not a one-time eve... Read More

The Presentation of the Lord 1. Light Somehow this feast is suffused with different forms of light, there is the direct light of Christ himself, whose meeting with Simeon and Anna in the Temple is celebrated by the Christian tradition of processing with candles, symbolising our eagerness, like the wise and virtuous bridesmaids with lamps lit, to go out and meet the Great Bridegroom, Christ our Sav... Read More

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday of the Word of God Few of us will not have seen or read the gentle persuasive call for mercy that Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde preached before the President of the United States, and I hope that all of us recognise in her words the call for mercy, and the task of any Christian, let alone pastor of Christ's flock which is enjoined upon us in those words of Jesus t... Read More

Just two weeks after the solemn opening of the Jubilee 2025 on Christmas Eve, already more than half a million pilgrims from all over the world have passed through the Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica. And with the Holy Door of the Roman Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls open from 5 January, the Holy Doors of all the Roman papal basilicas - St Paul's, St Peter's, St John Lateran's, and St Ma... Read More

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus' first miracle at Cana in Galilee takes us out of the normal expectation of what we pray ( or wish) for as a miracle. Normally this is about a situation of great need, a problem of deep reaching significance, the health of somebody, peace amongst adversaries and healing for war torn peoples, the fulfilment of a promise, the list goes on. Few of us, I am sure,... Read More

The Jesus who confronts us in today's Gospel is a Jesus of power: he commands the unclean spirits and they obey him (Mark 1:27). Jesus has "authority" - in the original Greek, exousia, the executive authority of a plenipotentiary (Mark 1:22). This is the 'ideal' Jesus of many: a Jesus full of power, who has only to say the word, and all will obey. It is the Jesus to whom we often pray, especially ... Read More

The Baptism of The Lord - We are servants of the Lord The first reading this Sunday is taken from Chapter 42 of the Prophet Isaiah, but the prophecy contained in verses 6-7, has a title which gives us as its theme, that of 'The Servant of the Lord'. Whilst this is a direct reference to Jesus Christ, we should extend the oracle of Isaiah to ourselves, after all through baptism, which we celebrate ... Read More

In his first Jubilee Audience on Saturday, Pope Francis described the Jubilee Year as a time for a new beginning, rooted in the transformative power of God's Kingdom, drawing on the example of John the Baptist, a "great prophet of hope." These words resonated throughout his Catechesis, serving as both a call to action and a reminder of the Jubilee's essence: the opportunity for everyone to start a... Read More

Pope Francis dedicated his General Audience reflection today to the "scourge" of child labour, saying Christians "cannot remain indifferent," when children, "instead of being loved and protected, are robbed of their childhood, of their dreams, [and made] victims of exploitation and marginalization." Speaking to pilgrims gathered in the Pope Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis said Christmas is an appropri... Read More

January 5th 2025 A little More Light! The unsettled state of affairs across the globe shows us how much more enlightened we as human persons have yet to become. Little did I think that in my latter years I would see, as others have done before, the ideals of democracy and an insistence of human rights challenged by despotic regimes and corrupt practice. In our present world some of the ideals of o... Read More

As we embark on this Jubilee year, Pope Francis reminds us of an urgent need: the right to education for all children and youth. "Today we're experiencing an educational catastrophe," the Pope warns, in The Pope Video for January, produced by his Worldwide Prayer Network in collaboration with the Jesuit Refugee Service. Indeed, around 250 million boys and girls are denied schooling due to wars, m... Read More

Pope Francis led the first midday Angelus prayer of 2025 in a crowded Saint Peter's Square yesterday, reflecting on the "surprise and the joy of Christmas." The Pope recalled the Gospel that narrates the arrival of the shepherds in the grotto in Bethlehem after witnessing the proclamation of the angels telling them about the newborn saviour, Messiah, and Lord. The Pope described this encounter whi... Read More

Mai Hanukkah - "What is Hanukkah?" asked the rabbis of the Talmud. In answer to their own rhetorical question, they chose not to tell the story of the Maccabean victory over the Seleucid empire in 160 BCE. Rather, they offered the famous story of the rededication of the Temple and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. For the rabbis, the oil of the menorah symbolized hope and faith i... Read More

Pope Francis marked the beginning of 2025 with the celebration of Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God in St Peter's Basilica. In his homily, the Holy Father said that "like a Mother," Mary points us to her Son and leads us to Jesus. Today's feast, he said, "immerses us once more in the mystery of Christmas" - a mystery summed up in the Second Reading, where St Paul tells u... Read More