Reflections & Homilies

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

During his Angelus address on this first Sunday of Lent, today, Pope told pilgrims gathered in St Pete's Square: "Let the Lord cleanse you, purify you and transform you into a unique masterpiece." Recalling the day's Gospel reading according to St Matthew, in which Jesus enters the desert and is tempted by the devil (cf. Mt 4:1-11), after fasting for forty days, the Pope noted that physically, th... Read More

Archbishop Richard Moth gave this homily today at the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at Westminster Cathedral. Dear Catechumens and all those responding to the Call to continuing conversion, dear brothers and sisters, Catechumens, as you prepared for this Rite of Election, you wrote your names for the list of the Elect. Today all your names are gathered in the Book of the Elect... Read More

First Sunday of Lent 1. Genesis In our first reading from Genesis this Sunday, we are given a poetic and artistic snapshot of the awakening conscience of humanity. The innocent status of human life exemplified in Adam and Eve, is compromised and changed by the testing choice between knowledge of good and evil, in which they choose evil but in sorrow desire forgiveness! And yet stark though the im... Read More

Perhaps Lent is a good time to share the All Kinds of Catholic podcast with someone who hasn't found it yet. For those wondering 'what to do for Lent', maybe listening to these conversations will inspire fresh awareness and appreciation of God's presence in our lives. Subscribing here is the best way to keep in touch with the pod community but the podcast is on the usual podcast platforms so it's ... Read More

Around 70 Christians gathered outside the Ministry of Defence in Central London today, to take part in the annual Ash Wednesday procession and prayer vigil. This was the 44th year Christians undertook this witness to, "the belief that it is better to risk living by the code of nonviolence, than to live a half-life hiding behind the false security of war and war preparations of all kinds." They rep... Read More

During his reflections on the Sunday Gospel, before praying the Angelus with pilgrims in St Peter's Square, Pope Leo said the Gospel teaches us that we must love greatly for true righteousness. "Jesus invites us to enter into the newness of the Kingdom of God," he said. Pope Leo noted that today's Gospel passage recounts when Jesus, who after proclaiming the Beatitudes, reveals the true meaning... Read More

Ash Wednesday confronts the Church with an unambiguous anthropological truth: "You are dust, and to dust you shall return." The liturgy dismantles fantasies of permanence and control, situating human life within its proper limits before God. It is from this starting point that Pope Leo's 2026 World Day Peace message, "Peace be with you all: Towards an 'unarmed and disarming' peace," must be read. ... Read More

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time In our first reading from Sirach two sentences ought to grab our attention, and if I may be so bold as to suggest to you all, they could act as part of our observance of Great Lent which begins this week, a meditation on the two simple phrases of fundamental importance for our faith-life development : '…keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God... Read More

On the eve of his Installation as the twelfth Archbishop of Westminster, Archbishop-elect Richard Moth gave this homily at Solemn Pontifical Vespers in Westminster Cathedral on Friday evening, 13 February. Dear brothers and sisters, Yes, I am still pinching myself! I thank all those of you who are joining in this celebration of Vespers, those of you here in this great cathedral, and those joining... Read More

On his Installation as the twelfth Archbishop of Westminster, Archbishop Richard Moth gave this homily at his Mass of Installation at Westminster Cathedral. On 26th March 1976, I was privileged to be in this great Cathedral Church, together with a friend from school, who is also present here today, for the Episcopal Ordination of the late Cardinal Basil Hume. On that day, the text that we have jus... Read More

"I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbour." Pope Leo XIV made that invitation at the heart of his message for Lent 2026, which was released on Friday. As Lent begins next week, Ash Wednesday, February 18, the Pope said this liturgical season offers Christians an opportunity to pl... Read More

The Word of God speaks to the life of every faithful person, as it puts us in dialogue with the Lord, and fuels the Church in its mission, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall yesterday. "The Word of God responds to our thirst for meaning, for the truth about our life," Pope Leo said. "We live surrounded by so many words, but how many of these are e... Read More