5th Sunday – The Church in Service, Fellowship and Mystical Union

6 May 20233 Jun 2023

Acts 6:1-7, 1 Peter 2:4-9, John 14:1-12 The Word we have today zooms in on the Church. All the readings give us different aspects of the Church. I would like…

4th Sunday – The Place of Safety

30 Apr 202327 May 2023

John 10:1-10 If you’ve ever been to the Sistine Chapel, it is hard not to be mesmerised by Michelangelo’s Last Judgment, which takes pride of place amongst all his frescoes…

Low Sunday -Marked by Mercy

15 Apr 20236 May 2023

Doubting Thomas by Duccio John 20:19-31 In one of his first interviews after his election as Pope, when asked how he would describe himself, Pope Francis replied, he was a…

Easter Sunday – Did you feel the Earth Quake?

8 Apr 202330 Apr 2023

Matthew 28:1-10 Did you feel the tremors? Did you hear the earthquake? Recently, I heard an excellent talk on the composition of Bach’s St John’s Passion – and the priest…

Good Friday – Why the Cross?

7 Apr 202323 Apr 2023

We gather today to venerate the Cross of Christ. Have you ever wondered why we do this? We come forward and kiss a repugnant instrument of torture, one on which…

Palm Sunday – The Face of God

1 Apr 202315 Apr 2023

What do we think God is like? We all have our images of God, whether we think of it or not. Many people tend to think of God today as…

5th Sunday – Raising the Dead Things in our Lives

26 Mar 20238 Apr 2023

Raising of Lazarus, Sebastiano del Piombo John 11:1-45 The raising of Lazarus completes the cycle of the Lent gospels for those preparing for Baptism. Starting with the Samaritan woman, we…

4th Sunday – To walk by Faith

19 Mar 20237 Apr 2023

Jesus healing the blind man, Brian Jekel John 9:1-41 Lent was historically a time of preparation for those who will be baptised at the Easter Vigil and our Sunday gospels…

3rd Sunday – Watering the Arid Heart

12 Mar 20232 Apr 2023

John 4:5-42 The Word today comes to people who feel unable to change. Maybe as you come here this morning, you feel a bit dead or stuck in life. Nothing…

2nd Sunday – The Darkness of Faith

4 Mar 202327 Mar 2023

The Departure of Abraham, Jacopo Bassano Genesis 12:1-4, Matthew 17:1-9 I wanted to reflect today on the darkness of faith. I don’t know if you’ve ever been through a season…

1st Sunday – Unmasking the Works of the Enemy

25 Feb 202328 Apr 2023

Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7, Matthew 4:1-11 We begin our Lenten season as always with the testing of Jesus by the devil. This battle that Jesus wages has a long history, beginning all…

6th Sunday – The Virtue of Law and the Law of Virtue

12 Feb 202312 Feb 2023

Virtue of Charity, Uffizi Gallery Matt 5:17-37 We continue reading from the Sermon on the Mount this week. There is a lot to take in today. Jesus goes up a…

Presentation – Finding God in Uncertain Times

4 Feb 20234 Mar 2023

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, Andrea Mantegna Luke 2:22-40 We moved the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple to this Sunday in our parish. The Presentation…

4th Sunday – To be Happy

28 Jan 202325 Feb 2023

Matt 5: 1-12 We come to the central text of Jesus’ teaching, the beatitudes. Matthew notes explicitly this is not for everyone, but for the disciples. In other words, it…

3rd Sunday – Answering the Call

22 Jan 202325 Feb 2023

Caravaggio, The Calling of Peter and Andrew Matt 4:12-23 In today’s gospel, Jesus walks along the shore of Galilee and calls two brothers from two families. James and John leave…

2nd Sunday – The Baptiser in the Spirit

15 Jan 20234 Feb 2023

John 1:29-34 As we open John’s gospel today, John the Baptist introduces us to Jesus. John is always the one who points out Jesus to us and we need him…

Christmas – The Child who Saves Us

24 Dec 202228 Jan 2023

Nativity, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Fitzwilliams Museum Isaiah 9:1-7 I think most people of any faith and none will agree that Christmas is one of the most beautiful times of the year.…

4th Week of Advent – The Justice of Joseph

17 Dec 202222 Jan 2023

Joseph's dream, Gaetano Gandolfi Matt 1:18-24 The last week of Advent, we are presented with the fascinating figure of St Joseph. Matthew’s gospel focuses on the annunciation to St Joseph…

3rd Week Advent – The Desert will Bloom

11 Dec 202212 Dec 2022

Isa 35:1-10, Mt 11:2-11 We are at Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing. This rejoicing comes amidst the waiting of Advent. These two themes are woven into our readings today.…

2nd Week of Advent – The Seven-fold Spirit of the King

4 Dec 202224 Dec 2022

Detail from the famous Jesse Tree, Chartres Cathedral Isa 11:1-10 I am just back from a Confirmation retreat with youngsters in the parish (and hence very late in posting this).…

1st Week Advent – What is your True North?

26 Nov 202217 Dec 2022

Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash Isaiah 2:1-5 We come to the season of Advent which begins a new year in the Church. It always amazes me how much optimism people have as…

Christ the King – A Crucified King

20 Nov 202211 Dec 2022

Col 1:12-20, Luke 23:35-43 We come to the last Sunday of the liturgical year. In a liturgical assembly, the principal figure always comes at the end. Fittingly, we conclude it…

33rd Sunday – Judgment and Mercy

12 Nov 20224 Dec 2022

Malachi 3:19-20 If you walked down from Warren Street Tube Station towards Tottenham Court Road in London, you’ll find a parallel street on the right called Whitefield Street. It's named…

32nd Sunday – Evil and Resurrection

6 Nov 202226 Nov 2022

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome 2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14, Luke 20:27-38 We have a very graphic word in our first reading. They…

31st Sunday – The Troubles of being Short

29 Oct 202220 Nov 2022

Luke 19:1-10 We come to the interesting story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector. On the final leg of his journey, Jesus passes through Jericho. At around 800m below sea level,…