Reflections & Homilies

How do my Christian friends view my engagement with Muslims? I am often ask about my experience with Muslims. I tell them that I believe that I've been called by the Church to immerse myself among Muslims. The word "among" is key to understanding my mission. My purpose is to witness Christ's love among them. Over the years, I've become increasingly convinced that it is Christ's love that drives us... Read More

During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV focused on the Eucharist as he continued reflecting on Vatican II's 1963 Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, underscoring that the sacred mystery enables us 'to adopt the very way of the Lord.' "Let us draw with faith from this source of divine life and allow ourselves to be transformed by the mystery we celebrate... Read More

Bishop Niall Coll, Bishop of Raphoe, delivered this homily at the International Eucharistic and Marian Shrine of Knock in Ireland, for the Day for Life yesterday. "The Church does not proclaim the Gospel of Life in order to condemn. Christ always begins with mercy. There is no wound beyond His healing, no past beyond His forgiveness, no life beyond His love." My brothers and sisters, In today's G... Read More

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. 1. Jeremiah speaks for our time. What a relief it is to hear those clear words of the prophet Jeremiah telling us not to listen to the babble of dissonant religious voices. It fills me with a new energy, because far too much, and too often in out present social media world , all kinds of people are allowed to say the most outrageous things about faith, cite script... Read More

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time The opening words of the gospel this Sunday present us the commissioning by Jesus of the twelve disciples, for what we can call their first missionary journey. At the heart of their mandate is the proclamation of the Kingdom, which remains a constant in every other missionary action from that initial trip of that first time to our mission as disciples of the Lord i... Read More

Solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ It is quite exciting and wonderful how familiar passages from the Scriptures can suddenly open themselves out to us, and help us focus in a different way, by causing us to reflect in a deeper and more thoughtful way and make connections that enrich our faith journey! And so I found that this verse from our first reading caught my attention and struck ... Read More

During the General Audience with pilgrims in St Peter's Square yesterday, Pope Leo focused on the importance of the signs, symbols and rites of the liturgy to draw us closer to God, Pope Leo said: "With the solemn simplicity of its rhythms, the rite interrupts our frenetic activities, leading us back to what is essential... We thus discover another dimension of action, not guided by calculations... Read More

The values expressed in sports can unite people, break down barriers, and create spaces bringing together cultures and generations. At a time when competition can become empty rivalry, and exclusion leaves many out, it is important that we rediscover the true meaning of sports as a school of fraternity, respect, and solidarity. In this month's prayer, the Holy Father invites us to pray "for the va... Read More

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Lectionary: 164 A bit of History I start on a slightly contentious note, because I find this feast somewhat superfluous as a distinct celebration. I can understand that it emerged out of devotion, but for the first millennium of the Church a specific, universal feast honouring the Trinity did not exist, there was a deeper and more pertinent understanding that... Read More

Renewing the liturgy and allowing it to progress, while preserving tradition, allows the Church to grow, be united and continue her mission of spreading the Gospel to all, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in St Peter's Square on 27 May. The Holy Father continued his catechesis series on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, and reflected on the 1963 Constitution on t... Read More

Archbishop Richard Moth gave this Homily yesterday at the Mass in thanksgiving for matrimony in Westminster Cathedral, during which over 450 couples renewed their commitment to live their marriage in holiness. Dear brothers and sisters, We rejoice today in the response of those who answer the call to the vocation of marriage. A great number (466 couples) are present here today and we pray with and... Read More

Pentecost How can one relate to the unseen Spirit? The paucity of our various languages reveals the difficulty of expressing just who the Spirit is to us, and the wisdom of Christianity in its best sense, uses descriptive metaphors and symbols just as Jesus' teaching in the gospel does. The manner in which we use our various languages to describe the Spirit does not capture or determine the essenc... Read More

Seventh Sunday after Easter The period between the Ascension and Pentecost is always a slightly strange one, in that we have celebrated the Lord's leave taking and wait in a kind of vacuum for that great outpouring of the Spirit on the nascent community which becomes in time what we know as the Church. This period may seem slightly artificial as the reality of the experience of the Resurrection, a... Read More

Pope Leo XIV has sent this Ascension Day Message to Thy Kingdom Come. 'Dear brothers and sisters, I am pleased to greet all of you taking part in this year's "Thy Kingdom Come" ecumenical prayer event, and to assure you of my spiritual closeness. Each year, during the Advent season, Christians address God with the words, "Come, Emmanuel." With great urgency we cry out for the fulfilment of Isaiah'... Read More