Reflections & Homilies

Westminster Cathedral was packed yesterday as Cardinal Vincent Nichols celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving, as his 16 years of service as Archbishop to the Diocese draws to a close. In his Homily, the Cardinal said: 'Here there is a new summons for me, a summons to use time more carefully in coming closer to the Lord, to spend more time in his presence now that the demands of this office are lifted... Read More

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Whilst we may underrate the virtue of humility, possibly because in the hustle and bustle of our 21st century life the lure of success, prosperity and the search for happiness has such a seductive pull. But those of us who have a more realistic approach to what is on offer and are very aware that most of us struggle, and have to work hard for what we so desire, see ou... Read More

In his prayer intention for February, Pope Leo invites us to pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope. The Holy Father asks us to recognize that "the smiles, even in the midst of pain," of children suffering from incurable diseases, "are a testimony of your Kingdom. In the name of the Fa... Read More

February 2nd 2026 One of my liturgical losses is that of the period between the Epiphany and the Presentation, Candlemas! The Anglicans keep these Sundays as Epiphanytide or Sundays after Epiphany which keeps our deep and ancient tradition of Christmas lasting until the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple - which in some way helped keep a light burning in our minds and prayers during the let down ... Read More

Archbishop Eamon Martin (pictured on the right) holding his staff and Saint Brigid's Cross) celebrated Mass today at Saint Brigid's Shrine in Faughart, Co Louth, the birthplace of Ireland's matron saint. In 1934, this site was chosen by Cardinal MacRory as the National Shrine of Saint Brigid for Ireland. Image CCO. "Saint Brigid of the Beatitudes: a model for Christian living today ... Sadly, we l... Read More

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time In our first reading this Sunday, the prophet Zephaniah gives us the two core requirements of humility and justice that he suggests will help us live the life that God wants for us. He is not alone in marking these out as important, we find them throughout the scriptures, for instance Micah in a passage we know so well, gives us a descriptive way in which we can inte... Read More

"The Word of God is still in the hands of the Church and all of us, in our various ecclesial ministries, must continue to preserve it in its integrity, as a lodestar for our journey through the complexity of history and existence," Pope Leo XIV said during his Wednesday General Audience today, with pilgrims in the Paul VI Hall. Continuing his catechesis series dedicated to the Second Vatican Counc... Read More

Pope Leo emphasised how different Christian denominations share the same faith and encouraged them to continue together the mission of spreading the Gospel throughout the world, on Sunday, at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity . "We are one! We already are! Let us recognise it, experience it and make it visible!" he said in his homily during the celebration of Second Vesp... Read More

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Given what is happening in our geo-political world, the words of the prophet Isaiah might seem a bit hollow, given the brutal behaviour ( or lack of leadership) of leaders and officials who should know better. Isaiah speaks out for the plight of those innocent people in the crosshairs of political posturing, our Greenlanders, Ukrainians, our stateless and unwanted i... Read More

Given on 17 January 2026 at Methodist Central Hall for a Service of Thanksgiving on the 80th Anniversary of the Inaugural Meeting of the United Nations. Your Royal Highness, Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, It is a great privilege to stand before you today in this Hall, where exactly eighty years ago the seeds of a fresh global framework were sown. On 10... Read More

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time The testimony of John the Baptist is unequivocal, and we trust his words because of John's great witness to Jesus, but they are also couched in a rather dream-like manner, for John is attempting to describe something well outside his comfort zone! Think of the way we describe happenings that are rather difficult to capture in straightforward language, such as major e... Read More

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, OP gave a meditation at the Extraordinary Consistory convened by Pope Leo in Rome, on 7-8 January. The meeting - which included 170 cardinals - centred on the themes of synodality and mission. Reflecting on Mark 6:45-52, Jesus walking on water to the disciples during a storm, he said: "Sometimes we feel alone, burnt out, exhausted. But Jesus is watching and will come cl... Read More

During his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV continued his catechesis series on the Second Vatican Council, looking more closely at "one of the most beautiful and important of the Council," namely the Dogmatic Constitution 'Dei Verbum,' on Divine Revelation. Recalling Jesus' words in the Gospel passage according to St John: "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does n... Read More

11th January 2026 Though our Liturgy has its structures, its rubrics, its scriptures, poetry, prayer texts and its chants, it can never really be tidied up according to human desires, because perfection is not something we, as humans, will ever achieve in this life. And that is all for the good, because the messiness of our worship, the untidiness of each one's vocation of prayer and Christian lif... Read More