Reflections & Homilies

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, the Church invites us to contemplate anew the quiet strength, the steadfast love and the attentive trust that marked the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Their life in Nazareth was simple, hidden and at times anxious, yet it was within that small household that God chose to dwell among us. The Holy Family shows us t... Read More

28th December 2025 I do find the first reading from Sirach rather lop sided. Of course it belongs to an age where lines of authority were clearly set and the patriarchal role far more dominant, but the language used starts with authority over others, and the call to revere your mother and honour your father does not seem to take into account a reciprocal sense of relationship being at least two wa... Read More

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ, Today's Feast of the Holy Family continues our rejoicing in the birth of Jesus, our hope and our salvation. This Feast has also been chosen as the moment in which dioceses throughout the world mark the end of the Jubilee Year with its theme of 'Pilgrims into Hope'. I think these two themes, of hope and family life, go well together. During this Holy Year ... Read More

On the feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr of the Church, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to contemplate martyrdom not as an end, but as a beginning: a "birth into heaven" that reveals what it truly means to come into the light. Greeting pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the Angelus, on the day traditionally known by early Christians as Saint Stephen's "birthday", the Pope recal... Read More

The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell says he was 'intimidated' by Israeli militias during his recent visit to the Holy Land. During his Christmas Day sermon yesterday at York Minster, Archbishop Cottrell revealed he was stopped at checkpoints and that militias told him he could not visit Palestinian families in the West Bank. His full homily text follows: "The true light, which ... Read More

Pope Leo XIV used his first Christmas Urbi et Orbi message to renew his appeal for peace, dialogue, and responsibility, turning to those regions where violence and instability continue to claim innocent lives. The Pope prayed for "justice, peace, and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Syria," and urged that the promise of peace rooted in righteousness be renewed. He appealed in a partic... Read More

Pope Leo celebrated the Christmas morning Mass in St Peter's Basilica, becoming the first pope to do so since Pope John Paul II in 1994. In his homily, the Holy Father insisted that "a new day has dawned" and "we, too, are part of this new beginning, even if few as yet believe it: peace is real, and is already among you." Jesus, he said, sent His disciples as messengers of peace to reveal "the pow... Read More

Cardinal Vincent Nichols gave this homily at Westminster Cathedral for Christmas Midnight Mass, 24th December 2025. Tonight is a night of prayer and praise, shaped by one much-acclaimed event: the birth of a child. Babies evoke in us tenderness and love - at least when they are not crying! And this is the tenor of our prayer tonight. The tenderness and love we have for this child, whose birth we ... Read More

Archbishop Martin: "I pray that for those out there who are lonely, isolated and struggling, poor, sick or in need, that we who love God can bring Christ to them this Christmas" Homily The late Pope Francis - God rest his soul - was speaking at Christmas time some years ago and he described Jesus as "knocking at the door of our hearts". Christ comes into our lives, including at Christmas time, b... Read More

In his annual Christmas message to the Archdiocese of Southwark, Archbishop John Wilson said that "each time we are asked the meaning of Christmas, our hearts should be filled with awe, joy and hope as we are drawn back to that remarkable night in Bethlehem." This is because, on "that night, the world changed forever. The Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, revealed the majesty and glory o... Read More

Reflecting on today's Gospel that invites meditation on Saint Joseph, Pope Leo XIV recalled how God reveals Joseph's mission in a dream to which he responds with great faith and courage being "keenly sensitive and human" even in the face of the immense challenges foreseen and to be faced. In his catechesis shared with the pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the midday Angelus on this f... Read More

Fourth Sunday in Advent This Sunday we come to the turning point of our year when the shortest day lifts its head to face the mid-winter darkness down, and we count the days to longer light and the coming of hope in the new life that will appear. The readings of this last Advent Sunday echo that yearning. Isaiah tells us of God's gift to the despondent King Ahaz, that Ephraim and Syria will not de... Read More

Archbishop Bernard Longley and Bishop Richard Moth have released a statement affirming what the coming of Christ at Christmas means to Catholics, expressing their shared concern at societal tensions and division in our communities, something that does not "reflect the spirit or message of Christmas." The Chair of the Department for Dialogue and Unity, and Chair of the Department for Social Justice... Read More

After celebrating Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners at St Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo delivered his Angelus address to pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square, saying that Christian joy endures "when life seems to lose its meaning and everything appears darker." "A prophet, even in chains, retains the ability to use his voice in the pursuit of truth and justice," he said, Even from behind bars, Jo... Read More