It is Passiontide and the images in church are hidden from our sight. When Easter comes the joyful contrast will be all the greater.
Meanwhile we focus more on God. When we look around church today...
"As Jesus walked along he saw a man who had been blind from birth."
The disciples react in a very human way. "Who sinned, this man, or his parents, for him to...
Christ is the Lord of glory as we hear in today's Gospel of the Transfiguration. At first sight it seems strange to hear this account in Lent, the season of austerity, and preparation for Holy Week. Yet we must...
At the very beginning of Lent we hear of Our Lord’s forty day fast in preparation for his public ministry which would lead him through His Passion and Death to His Resurrection. The Temptations of Our Lord in...
On Wednesday the holy season of Lent begins our long yearly journey towards Calvary and Easter. We call it a “journey” not only because it takes over seven weeks to complete, but because it begins a long way...
“His eyes are on those who fear him; he notes every action of man. He never commanded anyone to be godless; he has given no one permission to sin.” These words from the Book of Ecclesiasticus (today&rsquo...
Our Lord today continues the teaching begun last week in the “beatitudes” with a direct address to his audience: “YOU are the salt of the earth—YOU are the light of the world”. He...
With today’s Gospel we begin a series of readings which will take us over the remaining weeks until we reach Lent. This sequence is collectively known as “The Sermon on the Mount” and takes up three...
The Gospels of the early Sundays of the Year following the Baptism of the Lord continue the account of the beginnings of His public ministry. Today we hear of the call of four of the Apostles: two...
The theme of our Lord’s Baptism, which we celebrated last week as part of the Epiphany cycle of feasts, continues with today’s Gospel reading.
John tells us how St. John the Baptist witnessed to Our...
On St John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, once reflected on how very happy the magi would have been if, when they returned to their own country, they could have taken with them the King...
On the eighth and final day of the Octave of Christmas, the Gospel commemorates the Circumcision and naming of Our Lord on the eighth day after His birth. Nevertheless, from the earliest times in the Roman Church, this day has...
At Christmas many people come to Mass whom we have not seen for some time. It is good that they do come back. The Lord never rejects those who approach Him with a sincere heart. If...
A Jewish scholar who became a Christian and who knew the Old Testament very well and all of the traditions of the Jews, said that at the time of Christ the rabbis had gathered together 456 prophecies concerning the Messiah...
From December 17th onwards, the appearance of short passages beginning with “O” will infuse the Sacred Liturgy. What are they? There are seven of them altogether, each allocated to a day in the last week before Christmas.
They...
This Thursday we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is rather sad that many Catholics seem to think of the phrase “Immaculate Conception” in negative terms—merely that Mary was conceived without Original Sin. When...
Once again we begin a new Church Year today with the urgent call to prepare ourselves for Christ’s Second Coming.
Advent is a time of preparation. We tend to think of it first as a time of preparation...
The Last Sunday of the Church’s Year corresponds to the End of Time.
In the Creed we proclaim that "He (Christ) will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have...