Sunday Reflections
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
Devotion to Mary probably began in the third century AD. The four gospels, written in the late first century, treat of her in very different ways. In Matthew the focus is on Joseph, who is named…
The Nativity of the Lord
Today we light the white candle, which is the Christ candle, for it is Christmas day.
Each of the four evangelists has his own way of presenting the coming of the Messiah. We need to bear…
Fourth Sunday of Advent
We are now very near to Christmas and the fourth candle is lit, which is the angel candle. Luke speaks of an annunciation by an angel to Mary, while Matthew describes one to Joseph through a dream…
Third Sunday of Advent
The prophet Isaiah lived in the eighth century BC, in the kingdom of Judah. He was writing before the Jews were exiled to Babylon. He warned about the faithlessness of the people and how…
Second Sunday of Advent
The picture of the young child in close proximity to a cobra is part of the imagery that the prophet Isaiah depicts in today’s reading. His vision is of a world where fierce and gentle animals…
First Sunday of Advent
Today we light the first candle on the Advent wreath, which symbolises hope. In the last weeks of November we have been reflecting on the end of time, as the Church’s year comes to a close. “Use…
Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King
King David had presided over what the Jews would have regarded as their golden age. He conquered his enemies and built up the kingdom of Israel. He was especially chosen by God. Therefore this was…
Reflection: Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
When St Luke wrote his gospel, the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans - this happened in the year AD 70. This must have come as a devastating blow to the Jewish Christians…
Reflection: Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
The extract from the Second Book of Maccabees was written at some point between 150 and 120 BC, by an Egyptian Je living in Hellenistic Egypt - probably in Alexandria. It is independent of the…
Reflection: Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Last week we read the story of the pharisee and the tax collector who begged for mercy but who had not yet changed his behaviour. This week we meet Zacchaeus, who through the love of Jesus was…