Reflections & Homilies

Lectio Hymn O Jesus I Have Promised The words of this much loved hymn of Christian discipleship, were written by an Anglican priest, John Ernest Bode (1816-1874) and had its beginning in the confirmation of the poet's daughter and two sons in 1866. Bode served a small parish near Cambridge, England, and when his three children were ready for confirmation and wrote this hymn especially for the occa... Read More

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square on Palm Sunday. During his homily he reflected on Jesus as the King of Peace who rejects war and refuses to listen to the prayers of those who wage war. At the end of the Mass before the Angelus, Pope Leo read a heartfelt appeal for peace and called for prayers for all the victims of war. In his homily, Pope Leo said th... Read More

Lectio: Vexilla Regis As we begin Holy Week, moving onwards from Palm Sunday, it seems highly appropriate to reflect on an ancient processional hymn, which is one of the great treasures of the Latin liturgy, but has also been very successfully translated in English. This is the hymn, Vexilla Regis, which dates back to the 6th century. Originally composed by the poet and bishop of Poitiers Venantiu... Read More

March 29th 2026 On our journey through Great Lent we have discovered the essence of Jesus' love for us all and found the practical experience of it through his teaching. Now we reach Palm Sunday, the gateway into the liturgies of Holy Week and the solemn celebration of his passion, death and resurrection in those three days of the Paschal Triduum, making up as they do the feast of feasts, the pinn... Read More

Fifth Sunday of Lent The dramatic story of Lazarus that John shares with us, is the seventh and final sign Jesus performed before his passion and death. Quite simply it reveals Jesus as 'the resurrection and the life' as the promised messiah and son of God who is victorious over death, but also demonstrates for us his humanity and love rooted in the setting of his own friendship with Martha, Mary... Read More

Ahead of the day that countries in the Middle East celebrate Mother's Day, 21 March, a week after the UK marked the occasion, Bishop Jim Curry has reiterated Pope Leo's call that "paths of dialogue be reopened" and that the people of the Middle East can be spared the ongoing "atrocious violence of war." In particular, Bishop Curry, Lead Bishop for the Holy Land for the Bishops' Conference, urged C... Read More

Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland writes: "Our country and our troubled world need us to be like Saint Patrick, strong and active witnesses of Peace, Faith, Hope and Love" Saint Patrick tells us that he was only fifteen or sixteen years of age when he was trafficked into Ireland as a slave. Even though he had been raised in a Christian home and family, he de... Read More

Professor Todd Walatka, Assistant Chair for Graduate Studies at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA gave the following reflection at the St Oscar Romero ecumenical service held in St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square today. The theme was: Inspiration and Hope in Hard Times. Romans 12 is one of those passages from St Paul that is both beautiful and, if we are honest, rather overwhelm... Read More

In a world marked by divisions and tensions, the Church unites her members through their faith in Christ and His love and therefore has the mission to reach out to everyone, Pope Leo XIV said during the General Audience today in St Peter's Square. "Unified in Christ, Lord and Saviour of every man and woman, the Church can never turn inwards on herself, but is open to everyone and is for everyone,"... Read More

Third Sunday of Lent The true Place of the Woman at the Well Let us begin our reflection by letting the woman of Sychar unsettle us for a good cause, challenging our own preconceptions about the company Jesus kept, to help us place this Samaritan woman not only as a key figure but a primary witness in John's Gospel. This is a form of recovery, rebalancing ourselves if you like, by letting the fact... Read More

Conflicts and tensions exist that threaten people's lives and their ability to live together. Some can drag on for years if the path of dialogue and reconciliation has not been chosen. This is particularly concerning for the most vulnerable and for future generations. In his prayer intention for March, Pope Leo invites us to pray that nations lay down their weapons, adopt diplomacy and justice, an... Read More

This week, Pray As You Go, the free prayer app from the Jesuits in Britain, celebrates 20 years of helping Catholics and seekers alike find space for daily prayer and reflection. What began in March 2006 as a Lenten experiment by Fr Peter Scally SJ, a British Jesuit priest who recorded short podcasts for commuters using Ignatian prayer, has grown into a global ministry. Today, Pray As You Go serve... Read More

Second Sunday of Lent Saint David of Wales whose feast is normally kept on March 1st shares with us a pithy saying: 'Gwnewch y pethau bychain' : in English 'Do the little things'! If we are puzzled at this phrase its only because it has a stark and direct simplicity, but also a graciousness which make important those small and considerate things we do for others. It might at first seem at odds wit... Read More

Pope Leo XIV met today with Spanish seminarians attending the seminaries of Alcalá de Henares, Toledo, Cartagena, and the Interdiocesan Seminary of Catalonia. In his address, the Pope invited them to read his letter to the Archdiocesan Major Seminary of Trujilloi n Peru saying it covers the essential aspects of priestly formation. "But today," he told the seminarians, "I would like to focus on s... Read More