Acts 2:42-47/ Ps 118(117)/ 1 Peter 1:3-9/ John 20:19-31 Imagine being in that locked upper room with the disciples on the evening of the Resurrection. Struck with fear, confusion, and uncertainty. then, suddenly, Jesus is standing right there in the room, large as life. He breathes on them and says, "Peace be with you." That same breath of the Holy Spirit is blowing over us today, God is inviting us into an adventure of faith, healing, and absolute trust. Today is the Second

Acts 10:34a, 37-43/ Psalm 118(117):1-2. 16-17. 22-23/ Colossians 3:1-4/ John 20:1-9 Imagine running to the tomb on that first Easter morning, heart pounding with grief and confusion. You arrive and see the stone rolled away, the tomb empty except for the grave clothes. That same empty tomb is calling to us today with the greatest news in history. Today is not just a remembrance of a past event, it is a living reality. Jesus is risen. In the Gospel today, we hear about the oth

Matthew 21:1-11/ Isaiah 50:4-7/ Ps 22(21)/ Philippians 2:6-11/ Matthew 26:14-27:66 People today come to public notice for all sorts of reasons, politicians, athletes, celebrities, are subject to viral videos and become popular heroes overnight. Millions praise them, their images appear everywhere. Then, just as quickly, they can be demonised, rejected, the same people who praised them one day will decry them the next. Praise turns to hatred, the crowd demands the person be ca

Ezekiel 37:12-14/ Ps 130(129)/ Romans 8:8-11/ John 11:1-45 Among the passengers onboard the Titanic when it met its fate after striking an iceberg was Father Thomas Byles, a catholic priest. Refusing places on the lifeboats Father Byles stayed on deck, hearing confessions, leading the Rosary, and praying with those facing death. Father Byles displayed an extraordinary calm, steady presence as he awaited his inevitable death. What gave this man the courage to remain on a sinki

1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13/ Ps 23(22)/ Ephesians 5:8-14/ John 9:1-41 There is an old saying, ‘there are none so blind as those who will not see’. That saying could be the thread that runs through the readings of this Fourth Sunday of Lent. God said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." In those few words, w

Exodus 17:3-7/ Ps 95(94)/ Romans 5:1-2, 5-8/ John 4:5-42 In the first reading today, we find the Israelites in the desert. They have escaped slavery, seen miracles, watched the sea part before them. Now they are thirsty, weary and frightened, and they turn on Moses for leading them out into the desert to die. This is not a complaint from a faithless people, it is the cry of a people who are exhausted, who expected the journey to be easier, who were wondering why God felt so f

Genesis 12:1-4a/ Ps 33(32)/ 2 Timothy 1:8b-10/ Matthew 17:1-9 What would you do if you got a call from someone you love and trust, a best friend, parent, brother, or sister, asking you to do something without explaining fully what it is, or why it needs to be done? All they say is that they need you to trust them. Knowing and trusting them you say of course you will do whatever they ask. They then tell you to leave your job, sell the house, and move to an unfamiliar place. Th

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7/ Ps 51(50)/ Romans 5:12, 17-19/ Matthew 4:1-11 We are now in the season of Lent, we join Jesus in the desert, not a physical desert of sand and stone, but a spiritual desert, forty days that stretch before us like a holy invitation. A time when we walk alongside Jesus into a place of testing, a place of hunger, a place where the devil prowls. Why do we do this? Why would Jesus submit Himself to such hardship? Because Jesus loves us. Though He was fully di

Sirach 15:15-20/ Ps 119(118)/ 1 Corinthians 2:6-10/ Matthew 5:17-37 When we go on a journey to somewhere unfamiliar, we might use a GPS. We enter the destination, the device calculates the route, and off we go. What happens if we ignore the directions? What happens when we think we know better and take a shortcut that turns out not to be a short cut after all? We end up lost, frustrated, and wasting time going in circles. God's commandments are like a GPS system for our lives

Isaiah 58:6-10/ Ps 112(111)/ 1 Corinthians 2:1-5/ Matthew 5:13-16 Have you noticed how some things lose their power when they are not used? A torch sitting in a drawer does nothing for anyone. Salt left in a salt cellar can never enhance a meal. But when these simple things are used, when a torch shines and salt seasons, they can transform things. Today, Jesus gives us two powerful images that reveal exactly who we are called to be, salt and light. Not salt sitting unused in

Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13/ Ps 146(145)/ 1 Corinthians 1:26-31/ Matthew 5:1-12a We live in a time when the loudest voices get the most attention, when self-promotion is considered a virtue, when influence is measured by followers and 'likes'. We are surrounded by a culture that tells us to market ourselves, to climb the ladder, to make our mark on the world. The truth we learn today is that God's way is different. The readings today call us to change, they present us with a radic

Isaiah 9:1b-4/ Ps 27(26)/ 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17/ Matthew 4:12-17 We live in a world powered by electricity. We flip a switch, and there is light. We adjust a thermostat, and warmth fills our homes. We plug in our devices, and we are connected to the world. We take this power for granted, until suddenly, we do not have it anymore. The recent storm reminded us of this reality in a dramatic way. When the power went out, some of our homes and businesses sat in darkness for da

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6/ Ps 40(39)/ 1 Corinthians 1:1-3/ John 1:29-34 As the memory of Christmas recedes we are called to recognise who the baby born in a stable so long ago is and what he means to us in our lives. John the Baptist gives us the answer with the words: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." These words are so familiar to us, we hear them at every Mass. The priest lifts the consecrated host and makes John's proclamation: "Behold the Lamb of God

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7/ Ps 29(28)/ Acts 10:34-38/ Matthew 3:13-17 Few of us will remember our baptism with most being newly born babies when our parents brought us to church with our godparents and promised to bring us up in the faith. It is a useful reminder today of what that baptism meant for us. Baptism is the first and most important of the sacraments because it is the normal way to salvation and is the gateway sacrament without which none of the other sacraments can be rece

Sirach 24:1-2, 8-12/ Ps 147/ Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18/ John 1:1-5, 9-14 What presents did we receive this Christmas? As the day recedes in our memory let us again consider the greatest gift we have been given. While the world has already packed away Christmas, moving on to sales and resolutions, we are still here, still standing at the manger, still pondering the incredible mystery of who this child is. So we should be, because this isn't just a nice holiday story that fades wi

Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14/ Ps 128(127)/ Colossians 3:12-17/ Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, a celebration that comes in the Christmas season, reminding us that the Word made flesh did not come into this world as a solitary figure, but as a member of a family. The God who created all things chose to enter human history through the most fundamental human institution. The Gospel today might come as a bit of a shock. We

Isaiah 52:7-10/ Ps 98(97)/ Hebrews 1:1-6/ John 1:1-5, 9-14 So here it is, merry Christmas! Everybody's having fun. Look to the future now, it's only just begun. Those of us of a certain age will recognise these lyrics from Slade's 1973 song that has become a staple of Christmas music heard every year. Christmas is indeed here. We have waited in anticipation and prepared for it during the weeks of Advent. We are celebrating with family and friends, and we traditionally look to

Isaiah 7:10-14/ Ps 24(23)/ Romans 1:1-7/ Matthew 1:18-24 Today we light the fourth candle on the Advent wreath to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Saviour. This final purple candle, the ‘Angel’s Candle,’ symbolises peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.” In just a few days, we will gather again to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The nativity scenes are set up in our homes and churches, t

Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10/ Ps 146(145)/ James 5:7-10/ Matthew 11:2-11 Today we light the rose or pink candle on the Advent Wreath, the Shepherds' Candle, calling us to rejoice. ‘Gaudete!’ Rejoice! Maybe today as we look at the news or recall the conversations from this past week, the command to rejoice feels almost impossible. We see conflicts escalating in many places in the world, we hear of families struggling to afford basic necessities, people isolated and lonely, and many of u

Isaiah 11:1-10/ Ps 72(71)/ Romans 15:4-9/ Matthew 3:1-12 Today we light the second Advent wreath candle representing faith and called "Bethlehem’s Candle." Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, also the birthplace of King David. The second candle is also purple to symbolise preparation for the coming king.         We spend much of our time waiting, sometimes patiently, sometimes not so patiently. We wait at the airport check-in, we wait at security,